EDWARD 

stratemeyer: 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

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in  memory  of 
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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


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Dave  shook  hands  all  around.  —  Page  28. 


2>a\>e  porter  Series 


SlCS 


DAVE  POETEE'S  EETUEN  TO  SCHOOL 


WINNING  THE  MEDAL  0E  HONOR 


BY 

EDWARD    STEATEMEYEE 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South 

Seas,"  "  Old  Glory  Series,"  "  Pan-American  Series," 

"  Colonial  Series,"  "  American  Boys'  Life  of 

Theodore  Roosevelt,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY   CHARLES  NUTTALL 


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BOSTON 
LOTHROP,  LEE   &   SHEPAED   CO. 


Published,  March,  1907 


Copyright,  1907,  by  Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co. 
All  rights  reserved 


Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School 


Iftor woofc  iPrees 

Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass. 

U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

"Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School"  is  a 
complete  story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  third  volume 
in  a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of  "Dave 
Porter  Series." 

In  the  initial  volume  of  this  series,  entitled 
"Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  I  took  pleasure  in  in- 
troducing to  my  readers  a  typical  American  lad,  of 
strong  moral  qualities,  and  told  of  many  of  the 
things  which  happened  to  him  during  a  term  at 
an  American  boarding  school  of  to-day.  Such  a 
school  is  a  little  world  in  itself,  and  Dave  made 
both  friends  and  enemies,  and  aided  one  weak 
and  misguided  youth  to  a  realization  of  his  better 
self. 

The  great  cloud  over  Dave's  life  was  the  ques- 
tion of  his  parentage.  His  enemies  called  him  "a 
poorhouse  nobody,"  which  hurt  him  to  the  quick. 
At  length  he  made  a  discovery  which  led  him  to 
begin  a  search  for  his  missing  relatives,  and  in  the 
second  volume  of  this  series,  entitled  "Dave  Porter 
in  the  South  Seas,"  we  followed  the  lad  on  a  most 
unusual  voyage,  in  a  quarter  of  our  globe  but  little 
known.     Here  Dave  met  his  uncle,  and  learned 


iv  PREFACE 

something  of  himself  and  his   father  and  sister, 
which  pleased  him  immensely. 

In  the  present  volume  the  scene  is  shifted  back  to 
Oak  Hall,  where  Dave  goes  to  finish  his  prepara- 
tion for  college.  His  friends  are  still  with  him, 
and  likewise  his  enemies,  and  what  the  various 
students  do  I  leave  for  the  pages  that  follow  to  re- 
late. In  all  his  trials  Dave  stands  up  for  what  is 
honest  and  true,  and  in  this  his  example  is  well 
worth  following. 

Again  I  thank  the  many  young  people  who  have 
taken  an  interest  in  my  efforts  to  amuse  and  in- 
struct them.  I  hope  this  volume  may  prove  to 
their  liking  and  do  them  good. 

Edward  Stratemeyer. 

Washington's  Birthday,  1907. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  At  the  Railroad  Station 

II.  Something  of  the  Past 

III.  Dave's  Return  to  Oak  Hall 

IV.  In  the  Dormitory 
V.  Something  of  a  Mystery 

VI.  Job  Haskers's  Bad  Night 

VII.  A  Challenge  Accepted 

VIII.  The  Rivals  of  Oak  Hall 

IX.  The  End  of  the  Game 

X.  All  on  Account  of  a  Kite 

XI.  At  the  Widow  Fairchild's  House 

XII.  At  Work  in  the  Dark 

XIII.  In  the  Hands  of  the  Enemy    . 

XIV.  Carried  Off         .... 
XV.  Off  for  the  Game 

XVI.  The  Great  Football  Game 

XVII.  How  the  Game  Ended 

XVIII.  A  Funny  Initiation     . 

XIX.  Almost  Scared  to  Death 

XX.  A  Student's  Strange  Disappearance 

XXI.  The  Cavern  in  the  Woods 

XXII.  A  Boy  and  a  Motor  Cycle 

XXIII.  What  a  Runaway  Led  To 

XXIV.  More  Plans  than  One 
XXV.  The  Fight  in  the  Gymnasium 

v 


PAGE 
I 
II 
20 
29 
38 

47 

57 

66 

76 

86 

95 

105 

"5 

125 

134 

143 

153 

163 

173 
1S2 
191 
201 
211 
220 
229 


VI 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXVI.  The  Disappearance  of  Nick  Jasniff      .         •  239 

XXVII.  What  Happened  at  Rockville       .        .        .  249 

XXVIII.  An  Ice-Boat  Race 259 

XXIX.  The  Cabin  on  the  Island        .  269 

XXX.  Dave's  Heroism 279 

XXXI.  Gus  Plum's  Confession 289 

XXXII.  The  Medal  of  Honor — Conclusion        .        .     297 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Dave  shook  hands  all  around  (page  28)    .      Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Dave  began  to  mount  the  improvised  rope      .     .  51 

Down  came  Poole's  kite  on  the  teacher's  head    .  83 

Both  lads  came  down  violently  at  the  side  of 

the  road 120 

Like  a  living  wedge  Oak   Hall  struck  against 

Rockville 155 

Carl  was  made  to  bow  until  his  nose  touched  the 

floor 167 

The  Snowbird  continued  to  forge  ahead     .     .     .  265 

He  made  one  wild  leap  forward 288 


DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN 
TO  SCHOOL 

CHAPTER   I 

AT    THE    RAILROAD    STATION 

"Here  comes  the  train,  fellows!" 

"I  hope  Dave  Porter  is  on  board." 

"He  will  be,  and  Ben  Basswood  too.  Ben  wrote 
to  me  that  they  were  coming  to-day." 

"I  wonder  if  Dave  will  be  glad  to  get  back  to 
Oak  Hall,  Lazy?" 

"Why  not?"  returned  Sam  Day,  a  big,  round- 
faced  youth,  with  a  shock  of  curly  hair  hanging 
over  his  forehead.  "Didn't  we  have  fine  times 
when  he  was  here  last  term?" 

"Yes,  but "     Maurice  Hamilton  paused  to 

glance  at  the  train  that  had  rolled  into  the  Oak- 
dale  station.  "There  they  are,  sure  enough! 
Hurrah!" 

The  train  had  come  to  a  stop  and  a  dozen  or 
more  passengers  alighted.  In  the  crowd  were  two 
boys,  each  carrying  a  dress-suit  case.     Both  were 


2   DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

tall,  well-built,  and  manly-looking.  The  one  in  the 
lead  had  a  face  full  of  merriment  and  earnest  eyes 
that  were  rather  out  of  the  ordinary. 

"Dave!"  cried  Maurice  Hamilton,  rushing  up 
and  catching  the  youth  addressed  by  the  hand. 
"You  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you !" 

"Same  here,  Shadow,"  responded  Dave  Porter, 
and  gave  the  other  boy's  hand  a  squeeze  that  made 
the  lad  wince. 

"Whoa,  Dave!  I  want  to  use  that  hand 
again!"  cried  Shadow,  as  he  was  familiarly  called. 
"Not  so  hard." 

"And  how  are  you,  Lazy?"  went  on  Dave  Por- 
ter, turning  to  the  other  boy  on  the  platform. 
"Active  as  ever?"     And  he  smiled  brightly. 

"No,  it  has  been  dead  slow  since  you  and  Roger 
and  Phil  went  away,"  answered  Sam  Day.  "How 
are  you,  Ben?"  he  added,  to  the  second  youth  from 
the  train.  "I  hope  you've  come  back  to  stir  things 
up." 

"Oh,  Dave  will  stir  'em  up,  don't  you  worry," 
replied  Ben  Basswood.  "He  feels  like  a  two-year- 
old  colt  since — well,  you  know,"  he  added,  in  a 
lower  voice. 

"Any  one  would,"  responded  Sam  Day,  heartily. 
"My,  but  what  a  trip  you  must  have  had  to  the 
South  Seas!"  he  added,  to  Dave.  "Wish  I  had 
been  along!" 

"Every  one   of  our  crowd  has  been  wishing 


AT  THE  RAILROAD  STATION  3 

that,"  said  Shadow  Hamilton.  "When  you're 
settled  down,  and  have  time,  you  must  tell  us  all 
about  it,  Dave." 

"I  certainly  will.  Have  you  seen  anything  of 
Phil  and  Roger  yet?" 

"They  are  coming  to-morrow." 

"Good.     All  the  others  here  ?" 

"All  but  Polly  Vane  and  Luke  Watson.  Polly 
had  to  go  to  his  aunt's  wedding,  and  Luke  had  to 
go  around  by  way  of  Albany,  on  business  for  his 
father.  But  the  whole  crowd  will  be  on  hand  by 
the  end  of  the  week." 

"And  what  of  Gus  Plum  and  Nat  Poole  and 
that  crowd?"  asked  Ben  Basswood,  with  a  shade 
of  anxiety  in  his  voice. 

"Oh,  they  are  around,  as  lordly  as  ever.  But 
say,  wasn't  Plum  taken  down  when  he  heard  that 
Dave  had  found  some  relatives  and  was  rich !  He 
wouldn't  believe  it  at  first;  said  it  was  a  fake." 

"But  it  is  true,"  cried  Ben  Basswood,  his  face 
glowing.  "Dave's  folks  are  rich.  I  don't  know 
but  that  Dave  is  the  richest  boy  at  Oak  Hall  now." 

"Oh,  come,  let  us  talk  about  something  else," 
said  Dave,  blushing  in  spite  of  himself.  "Where's 
the  carryall?" 

"Here  you  are,  gents!"  cried  a  voice  from  the 
end  of  the  platform,  and  Jackson  Lemond,  the 
driver  from  Oak  Hall,  appeared.  He  got  down 
on  one  knee  and  made  a  profound  bow  to  Dave. 


4   DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Hope  I  see  you  well,  Lord  Porter,"  he  went  on, 
humbly. 

"Lord  Porter?"  queried  Dave,  in  bewilder- 
ment. 

"Hush!"  whispered  Sam  Day,  quickly.  "Some 
of  the  fellows  told  Horsehair  you  were  a  real,  live 
lord  now,  and  he  believes  it." 

"But  I  am  not,"  cried  Dave,  and  burst  out 
laughing.  "Up  with  you,  Horsehair,  or  you'll 
get  your  knee  dirty." 

"Yes,  sir,  yes,  sir,"  answered  the  driver,  nerv- 
ously. "Will — er — will  Lord  Porter  sit  on  the 
front  seat,  or- " 

"A  lord  always  drives  himself,"  answered 
Shadow  Hamilton,  with  a  grin.  "Horsehair, 
you'll  have  to  sit  on  the  back  spring." 

"Yes,   sir,  but — er "      The  driver  of  the 

carryall  paused.     "Any  more  boys?" 

"Look  here,  fellows,"  interrupted  Dave,  throw- 
ing his  dress-suit  case  on  the  top  of  the  carryall. 
"I  like  fun  as  well  as  anybody,  but  making  out  I'm 
a  lord  is — well,  it's  something  I  don't  like.  Even 
though  my  folks  may  have  a  little  money  I  want 
to  be  just  as  I  used  to  be." 

"Ain't  you  no  lord?"  gasped  the  carryall  driver. 

"Of  course  not — I'm  a  plain,  everyday  Amer- 
ican boy." 

"Well,  I'll  be  switched!  Them  young  gents 
told  me  as  how  you  was  a  real  lord,  an'  was  coming 


AT  THE  RAILROAD  STATION  5 

to  the  school  with  four  colored  servants,  an'  a 
whole  lot  more." 

"And  now  Dave  has  spoiled  it  all,"  said  Shadow 
Hamilton,  with  a  ponderous  sigh.  "Puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  story  I  once  heard  about  a " 

"Yarn  No.  1,"  interrupted  Ben.  "I  thought 
you'd  begin  to  tell  'em  as  soon  as  we  arrived.  You 
have  'em  bottled  up,  and  unless  you  pulled  the  cork 
now  and  then  I  suppose  you'd  explode." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  another  story, 
about  a " 

"Wait  till  we  are  on  our  way  to  the  Hall,"  cried 
Sam  Day.  "All  in !"  And  one  after  another  the 
schoolboys  piled  into  the  big  carryall  which  was  to 
take  them  to  Oak  Hall.  The  turnout  was  just 
about  to  start  when  there  came  a  cry  from  the 
other  end  of  the  station,  and  two  youths  appeared, 
each  loudly  dressed,  one  somewhat  after  the  man- 
ner of  a  dude  and  the  other  in  the  style  of  a  sport. 
Each  carried  a  small  parcel,  showing  he  had  come 
down  to  the  town  to  do  some  shopping. 

"Gus  Plum  and  Nat  Poole!"  whispered  Ben, 
and  his  face  fell.  "I  hope  they  don't  want  to  ride 
with  us." 

"That  is  what  they  are  going  to  do,"  answered 
Dave.    "I  am  sorry  myself,  but  it  can't  be  helped." 

"Jump  in  if  you  are  going  along,"  cried  the  Hall 
driver. 

"Who  have  you  got?"   sang  out  Gus   Plum, 


6   DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

rather  roughly.  He  came  closer  with  his  com- 
panion and  stared  at  those  in  the  carryall. 
"Humph!" 

"How  do  you  do,  Plum?"  said  Dave,  politely. 
He  knew  Gus  Plum  to  be  the  bully  of  the  school, 
but  he  had  determined  to  be  perfectly  fair  to  all. 

"Humph!"  murmured  the  bully  again.  "Got 
back,  eh?" 

"I  have." 

"Humph!" 

"Going  to  cut  a  fearful  swath,  I  presume,"  said 
Nat  Poole,  who  was  the  bully's  close  crony. 

Dave's  face  flushed.  He  had  anticipated  trou- 
ble, but  had  not  expected  it  to  come  so  soon.  A 
sharp  answer  came  to  his  lips,  but  he  suppressed  it 
and  remained  silent. 

"Don't  start  in  now,  Plum!"  cried  Ben.  "If 
you  are  going  to  the  Hall  say  so  and  get  in." 

"I'll  go  to  the  Hall  when  I  feel  like  it,"  growled 
the  bully.  It  was  plain  to  see  that  he  was  in  an 
unusually  bad  humor. 

"Well,  we  are  not  going  to  wait  for  you  to  make 
up  your  mind,"  said  Shadow  Hamilton.  As  we 
shall  learn  later,  he  had  good  reasons  for  counting 
Gus  Plum  his  enemy.  "Are  you  going,  or  are  you 
not?" 

"See  here,  Hamilton,  you  can't  boss  me !"  roared 
the  bully.     "I'll  get  in  when  I  please." 

"The  carryall  has  got  to  wait  for  us,"  added 


AT  THE  RAILROAD  STATION  7 

Nat  Poole,  maliciously.  "Dr.  Clay  said  we  could 
come  back  in  it." 

"Then  come  on,"  said  Sam  Day. 

"We  are  not  through  with  our  errands  yet," 
answered  Gus  Plum,  and  winked  in  secret  at  his 
crony. 

"That's  it — and  the  carryall  has  got  to 
wait  till  we  are  through,"  added  Nat  Poole, 
quickly. 

"How  long?"  asked  Dave,  looking  sharply  at 
Plum  and  Poole. 

"Oh,  about  half  an  hour,"  answered  the  bully, 
carelessly. 

"This  is  a  shame,"  muttered  Sam  Day. 
"Horsehair,  can't  you  come  back  for  them?" 

"Certainly,"  answered  the  driver. 

"Then  off  we  go!"  cried  Shadow  Hamilton. 
"I'd  rather  ride  without  them  anyway,"  he  whis- 
pered. 

"Hi !  stop !"  roared  Gus  Plum.  "If  you  drive 
to  the  Hall  you  won't  be  back  for  an  hour  and  a 
half  or  more.     You've  got  to  wait  for  us." 

At  this  bold  announcement  there  was  silence  all 
around.  The  students  in  the  carryall  looked  at 
Dave,  as  he  was  their  natural  leader. 

"There  are  four  of  us  who  want  to  get  to  the 
Hall  without  unnecessary  delay,"  said  Dave, 
steadily.  "Either  you  can  go  along  now,  or  wait 
till  Horsehair  comes  back." 


8   DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"That's  the  talk,"  came  promptly  from  Dave's 
chums. 

"So  you  are  going  to  play  the  master,  are  you?" 
blustered  Gus  Plum.  "Going  to  rule  the  roost, 
eh?  and  make  everybody  bow  low  to  you, 
eh?" 

"Nothing  of  the  kind,  Plum.  I  merely 
wish " 

"Oh,  I  know!  You've  talked  soft  to  me  be- 
fore, and  soft  to  Nat,  too!  I  suppose  you  think 
now  you  have  money  you  can  do  anything  here. 
Well,  it  don't  go — not  with  me  anyway,  and  I  want 
to  give  you  fair  warning  right  now,  at  the  very 
start.     I  want  you  to  understand " 

"Plum,  don't  talk  so  loud,  you  are  drawing  a 
crowd,"  whispered  Ben.  "Dave  is  all  right,  and 
you  know  it." 

"Humph!     I  want  him  to  understand " 

"Plum,  listen  to  me,"  said  Dave,  leaning  out  of 
the  carryall  and  facing  the  bully  squarely.  "I  in- 
tended to  have  a  talk  with  you  later,  but  since  you 
are  so  insistent  we  may  as  well  have  it  out  right 
now.  When  it  was  decided  that  I  should  come 
back  to  Oak  Hall  I  made  up  my  mind  to  do  my 
best  to  keep  out  of  trouble  and  stick  closely  to  my 
lessons.  I  also  made  up  my  mind  to  steer  clear  of 
you,  and  Nat  Poole,  and  all  the  others  of  your 
crowd,  and  I  was  going  to  ask  you  to  leave  me 
alone.     I  want  absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  any 


AT  THE  RAILROAD  STATION  9 

of  you,  and  I  don't  want  any  of  you  to  go  around 
talking  behind  my  back,  as  you  have  been  doing 
in  the  past.  You  know  I  could  do  some  talking  on 
my  own  account  if  I  wanted  to,  but  I  prefer  to  keep 
silent.  Now  then,  are  you  willing  to  meet  me  on 
those  terms  or  not?" 

"Humph!" 

"That  is  no  answer." 

"You  can't  bully  me." 

"You  are  the  bully  and  always  have  been,  and 
you  know  it." 

"That's  the  truth,"  said  Sam  Day. 

"Plum,  you've  got  to  take  a  back  seat,  and  the 
sooner  you  do  it  the  better  off  you'll  be,"  added 
Shadow. 

"Exactly  what  I  say,"  was  Ben's  comment. 

"All  against  me,  just  as  you  always  were !"  cried 
Gus  Plum,  savagely.  "But  never  mind!  Just 
you  wait,  that's  all!"  And  he  shook  his  fist  as  he 
backed  away. 

"You're  a  set  of  sneaks !"  murmured  Nat  Poole, 
as  he  too  retreated.  But  he  was  careful  to  speak 
in  such  a  low  tone  that  nobody  in  the  carryall  un- 
derstood him. 

"I  don't  want  to  ride  with  you ;  I'd  rather  walk," 
went  on  the  bully. 

"I'll  come  back  for  you  two,"  said  the  driver,  as 
he  took  up  the  reins  again.  "Git  up  there !"  he 
cried  to  his  team  and  snapped  his  whip.     "Looks 


io  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

to  me  like  there  was  trouble  in  the  air,"  he  con- 
tinued, glancing  first  at  the  students  left  behind  and 
then  at  those  in  the  carryall. 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  right,"  answered  Dave, 
soberly. 


CHAPTER  II 

SOMETHING   OF   THE   PAST 

Once  again  Dave  Porter  was  brought  face  to 
face  with  the  troubles  which  he  had  hoped  had 
been  put  behind  him  forever.  He  had  expected 
to  have  the  best  kind  of  a  time  on  returning  to  Oak 
Hall,  and  here  were  his  old  enemies,  Gus  Plum 
and  Nat  Poole,  ready  to  do  all  in  their  power  to 
make  his  schooldays  miserable. 

To  those  who  have  read  "Dave  Porter  at  Oak 
Hall"  Dave  needs  no  special  introduction.  In 
that  volume  was  related  how  the  boy  was  found 
when  a  little  child  wandering  along  the  railroad 
tracks  just  outside  of  the  village  of  Crumville,  and 
turned  over  to  the  poorhouse  authorities.  Every 
effort  to  establish  his  identity  failed,  and  when  he 
grew  up  he  was  taken  in  by  a  broken-down  college 
professor,  Caspar  Potts,  who  had  turned  farmer. 

The  old  professor  did  what  he  could  for  the 
youth,  but  his  farm  was  mortgaged  to  a  hard- 
hearted money  lender,  Aaron  Poole,  the  father  of 
Nat  Poole,  just  introduced.  Aaron  Poole  would 
have  sold  the  old  man  out  had  not  aid  come  from 

ii 


12     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

an  unexpected  quarter.  There  was  an  automobile 
accident,  and  Dave  succeeded  in  saving  the  life  of 
a  little  girl,  Jessie  Wadsworth.  For  this  the 
Wadsworth  family  were  very  grateful,  and  when 
it  was  learned  that  Caspar  Potts  was  one  of  Mr. 
Oliver  Wadsworth's  former  college  professors,  the 
rich  manufacturer  took  the  old  professor  to  live 
with  him,  and  also  took  care  of  the  mortgage. 
Then,  for  his  bravery,  and  because  Dave  reminded 
him  of  a  dead  son,  Mr.  Wadsworth  resolved  to 
send  the  youth  to  a  boarding  school  and  give  him  a 
thorough  education. 

Oak  Hall  was  the  institution  selected,  an  ideal 
place  of  learning,  located  not  a  great  distance  from 
the  town  of  Oakdale,  in  one  of  our  New  England 
States.  The  buildings  were  substantial  and  sur- 
rounded by  beautiful  grounds  sloping  down  to  the 
Leming  River.  Stately  oaks  grew  on  the  grounds 
and  in  that  vicinity,  giving  the  school  its  name. 

Dave  had  but  one  boy  friend  in  Crumville,  Ben 
Basswood,  who  also  went  to  Oak  Hall,  but  the  lad 
was  not  slow  to  make  other  acquaintances,  some  of 
whom  became  his  closest  chums.  Among  the  num- 
ber were  Roger  Morr,  the  son  of  a  United  States 
senator;  Phil  Lawrence,  whose  father  was  a  ship- 
owner; Joseph  Beggs,  usually  called  Buster  because 
he  was  so  fat;  and  Sam  Day  and  "Shadow"  Hamil- 
ton, already  introduced. 

For  a  time  all  went  well  and  the  poorhouse  boy 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  13 

was  happy.  But  then  came  trouble  with  Gus  Plum 
the  bully,  and  with  Nat  Poole,  who  also  became  a 
student  at  the  Hall.  Poole  told  everybody  that 
Dave  was  a  "poorhouse  nobody,"  and  Plum 
taunted  him,  with  the  result  that  there  was  a  fight, 
in  which  Dave  came  off  the  victor.  But  this  only 
angered  the  bully  the  more,  and  he  vowed  to  "get 
square"  sooner  or  later. 

"I'll  take  it  out  of  the  poorhouse  whelp,"  he 
said  to  Chip  Macklin,  a  small  youth  who  was  his 
toady,  and  laid  his  plot  with  care.  But  the  plan 
miscarried,  and  when  Dave  learned  the  truth  he 
gave  Chip  Macklin  such  a  talking  to  that  the  small 
boy  resolved  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the 
bully.  Macklin  turned  over  a  new  leaf,  and  was  now 
hailed  as  "a  pretty  decent  sort  of  chap"  by  those 
who  had  formerly  despised  him.  Then  Plum  did 
something  which  got  Shadow  Hamilton  into  seri- 
ous trouble,  stealing  a  collection  of  valuable  post- 
age stamps  belonging  to  the  master  of  the  school, 
which  poor  Shadow  had  hidden  when  he  was  sleep- 
walking. This  base  action  was  also  brought  to 
light,  and  the  bully  came  near  being  expelled  from 
the  Hall. 

The  question  of  his  parentage  was  ever  in 
Dave's  mind,  and  when  he  gained  what  he  thought 
was  a  clew  he  followed  it  up  as  promptly  as  pos- 
sible. An  old  sailor  named  Billy  Dill  declared 
that  he  knew  Dave  or  somebody  that  looked  exactly 


14  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

like  him,  only  older.  This  unknown  individual 
was  on  an  island  in  the  South  Seas,  and  the  youth 
arranged  to  visit  that  portion  of  the  globe  in  one 
of  the  ships  belonging  to  Phil  Lawrence's  father. 
Phil,  and  Roger  Morr,  went  with  him,  and  also 
Billy  Dill,  the  necessary  funds  for  the  trip  being 
furnished  by  Oliver  Wadsworth. 

As  related  in  the  second  volume  of  this  series, 
"Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas,"  the  voyage  of  the 
Stormy  Petrel  proved  to  be  a  decidedly  strange 
one.  Fearful  storms  were  encountered,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  crew,  led  by  a  dishonest  supercargo  and 
a  mate,  tried  to  run  off  with  the  vessel,  leaving 
Dave,  his  chums,  the  captain,  and  some  others,  on 
an  uninhabited  island.  But  in  the  end  the  vessel 
was  retaken,  and  Dave  reached  the  place  for  which 
he  was  bound. 

A  great  and  happy  surprise  awaited  the  youth. 
He  came  face  to  face  with  a  Mr.  Dunston  Porter, 
who  proved  to  be  the  boy's  uncle.  Mr.  Porter 
was  rich  and  was  wandering  around  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific  looking  for  a  treasure  said  to  have  been 
buried  by  the  natives  years  before.  The  uncle 
told  Dave  that  he  was  the  son  of  a  twin  brother, 
David  Breslow  Porter.  Dave's  mother  was  dead, 
but  there  was  a  sister  Laura,  one  year  younger  than 
Dave.  Mr.  David  Porter  and  his  daughter  Laura 
were  now  in  Europe,  traveling  for  the  former's 
health.     Dave  had  been  stolen  from  his  parents 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  15 

by  a  crazy  nurse,  and  because  of  this  Mr.  Porter 
never  went  anywhere  without  taking  Laura  with 
him.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  money  in  the 
family,  a  fair  share  of  which  would  rightfully  fall 
to  Dave  when  he  became  of  age. 

As  was  but  natural,  Dave  was  impatient  to  meet 
his  father  and  his  sister.  He  and  the  others  jour- 
neyed back  to  the  United  States,  and  various  mes- 
sages were  sent,  to  Mr.  David  Porter  and  to 
friends  at  Crumville.  Then  Dave  and  his  uncle 
journeyed  to  the  Wadsworth  home,  where  they 
were  warmly  received. 

At  first  the  message  forwarded  to  Dave's  father 
in  Europe  brought  no  reply,  but  at  last  came  back 
an  answer  from  the  keeper  of  a  hotel  in  Paris 
where  Mr.  Porter  and  Laura  had  been  stopping. 
This  said  that  the  Porters  had  departed  some  weeks 
before  for  an  extended  trip  to  Norway,  after  which 
they  expected  to  sail  for  New  York,  to  which  place 
all  mail  was  to  be  addressed.  Where  the  two 
travelers  were  at  the  present  time  there  was  no 
telling. 

"Dave,  this  is  hard  luck,"  said  the  boy's  uncle, 
on  receiving  the  news.  "I  don't  know  what  to  do 
except  to  wait." 

"Can't  we  send  letters  to  different  cities  in  Nor- 
way?" returned  the  youth.  "I  want  to  meet  my 
father  and  my  sister  so  much!" 

"Yes,  we  can  try  that,"  answered  Dunston  Por- 


16    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

ter,  and  the  letters  were  sent  without  delay ;  but  so 
far  no  answers  had  been  received. 

Oak  Hall  had  opened  for  the  fall  term,  and 
after  some  discussion  it  was  decided  that  Dave 
should  return  to  that  school  until  some  word  was 
received  from  his  father.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr. 
Dunston  Porter  became  the  guest  of  Mr.  Wads- 
worth. 

Outside  of  the  fact  that  he  was  impatient  to  meet 
his  father  and  his  sister  face  to  face,  Dave  was 
very  light-hearted  when  he  and  Ben  Basswood  left 
Crumville  on  their  journey  to  Oakdale.  Being  a 
"poorhouse  nobody"  was  now  a  thing  of  the  past, 
and  he  felt  relieved  to  think  that  no  one  could 
again  taunt  him  regarding  his  parentage.  More 
than  this,  he  was  now  in  the  care  of  an  uncle  who 
was  kind  and  loving  to  the  last  degree,  and  he  was 
provided  with  all  the  money  he  needed,  and  it  was 
"his  own  money,"  as  he  told  himself  with  great 
satisfaction. 

He  had  already  met  some  of  his  chums  since  re- 
turning from  the  South  Seas — boys  who  had 
stopped  off  at  Crumville  while  on  their  railroad 
journey  to  Oakdale.  All  had  congratulated  him 
on  his  luck  and  wished  him  well. 

But  Nat  Poole  had  not  been  happy  over  Dave's 
good  fortune.  They  had  met  at  the  local  post- 
office,  and  Poole  had  made  some  undertoned  re- 
marks that  did  not  please  Dave  in  the  least.     As  a 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  17 

matter  of  fact  Nat  Poole,  even  though  fairly  well- 
to-do  himself,  envied  Dave  because  of  his  riches. 

"Wait  and  see  how  he  tries  to  lord  it  over  us 
when  he  comes  back,"  said  Nat  Poole  to  Gus  Plum, 
when  the  two  met  at  Oak  Hall.  "I  suppose  he 
will  put  on  such  airs  there  will  be  no  living  with 
him.  And  he  will  do  what  he  can  to  buy  all  the 
other  fellows  over  to  him." 

"He  shan't  lord  it  over  me,  or  buy  me  over 
either,"  answered  the  bully.  His  tone  was  very 
bitter,  because  of  the  fact  that  his  own  position  in 
life  seemed  to  be  going  down.  His  father  had 
lost  money  steadily  during  the  past  year,  and  it  was 
now  almost  a  question  whether  Gus  should  con- 
tinue at  school  or  leave  and  go  to  work. 

"It  made  me  sick  to  see  how  Crumville  folks 
bowed  and  smiled  to  him,",  went  on  Nat  Poole. 
"When  he  was  nobody  they  wouldn't  notice  him — 
now  they  tumble  over  each  other  to  shake  him  by 
the  hand." 

"But  has  he  really  got  so  much  money?" 
"They  say  so — but  I  don't  believe  it." 
"Does  he  dress  any  better  than  he  used  to?" 
"Hardly  a  bit  better.     If  that  uncle  of  his  has 
the  rocks  I  guess  he  is  miserly  about  using  any." 

"Then  maybe  Dave  won't  have  so  very  much 
spending  money,"  said  Gus  Plum,  his  face  brighten- 
ing a  bit. 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  that.     But  I  do 


1 8  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

know  it  makes  me  sick  to  think  he  is  coming  here 
to  show  off  in  front  of  all  of  us." 

Gus  Plum  looked  around  cautiously.  The  pair 
were  in  their  dormitory  and  nobody  else  was  within 
hearing. 

"Nat,  we  hung  together  last  term  and  we  had 
better  hang  together  this  term  too,"  he  whispered. 

"What  do  you  mean — against  Porter  and  his 
crowd?" 

"Yes." 

"I'll  do  that  quick  enough." 

"We  must  find  some  way  to  throw  him  off  his 
high  horse." 

"Well,  we  don't  want  to  get  pinched  doing  it." 

"We  won't  get  pinched — if  we  do  the  thing 
right." 

"I'm  willing  to  do  anything  that  can  be  done  to 
make  him  eat  humble  pie." 

"I  owe  him  a  whole  lot — and  so  do  you,"  con- 
tinued the  bully  of  Oak  Hall,  bitterly.  "Don't 
you  remember  how  he  treated  us  at  the  athletic 
contests,  and  down  at  the  boathouse?  It  makes 
me  boil  every  time  I  think  of  it!" 

"Yes,  and  the  tricks  he  and  his  cronies  played 
on  us,"  returned  Nat  Poole.  "Gus,  I'll  do  any- 
thing— so  long  as  we  are  not  caught  at  it." 

"I'd  like  to  fix  him  so  he'd  be  disgraced  before 
the  whole  school."  Gus  Plum's  voice  sank  to  a 
hoarse  whisper. 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  19 

"Can  we  do  it?" 

"Maybe  we  can,"  was  the  answer. 

And  there  and  then,  two  days  before  Dave  got 
back  to  Oak  Hall,  these  two  unworthies  plotted  to 
disgrace  him  and  leave  a  smirch  upon  his  fair 
name. 


CHAPTER  III 

dave's  return  to  oak  hall 

The  carryall  containing  Dave  and  his  friends 
soon  left  Oakdale  behind  and  was  bowling  swiftly 
along  over  the  smooth  highway  leading  to  Oak 
Hall.  The  boys  were  all  inside,  leaving  the  driver 
to  manage  his  team  in  any  way  that  suited  him. 
Usually  they  loved  to  torment  Horsehair,  as  they 
called  him,  but  now  they  had  other  matters  on  their 
minds. 

"The  same  old  Plum,"  said  Ben,  with  a  sigh. 
"Doesn't  it  make  one  weary  to  listen  to  him?" 

"Better  try  to  forget  him,  and  Nat  Poole  too," 
answered  Dave. 

"That  is  easier  said  than  done,"  said  Shadow 
Hamilton.  "Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story. 
There  was  once " 

"He  is  bound  to  tell  'em,"  came,  with  a  groan, 
from  Sam  Day. 

"Never  mind;  go  ahead,  Shadow,"  said  Dave. 
"Sam  said  you  could  start  in  after  we  were  on 
board,  and  I'd  rather  hear  a  story  than  discuss 
Plum  and  Poole." 

so 


DAVE'S  RETURN  TO  OAK  HALL        21 

"You  were  talking  about  forgetting  Plum.  One 
day  a  boy  got  into  his  mother's  pantry  and  stole 
some  preserved  plums.  When  the  plums,  were 
found  missing  the  boy's  mother  caught  him  and 
cuffed  his  ears  in  good  style.  Then  the  boy  went 
outside  and  his  chum  told  him  to  stop  crying. 
'Forget  that  your  mother  cuffed  you,' said  the  other 
boy.  'I  ain't  thinkin'  of  that,'  answered  the  boy 
who  had  stolen  the  plums.  'Then  stop  crying.' 
'I  can't.'  'Why  not?'  asks  the  other  boy.  'Be- 
cause the  plums  was  hot  an'  I  kin  feel  'em  all  along 
my  throat  yit.'  "  And  at  this  anecdote  a  smile 
passed  around. 

"I  suppose  football  is  being  talked  about,"  ob- 
served Ben,  after  a  brief  pause. 

"Yes,  some  of  the  boys  are  playing  already,"  an- 
swered Sam  Day.  "I  have  been  waiting  for 
Roger  to  get  back.  He  was  captain  of  our  eleven 
last  season,  you'll  remember." 

"Yes,  and  you  were  right  tackle." 

"Do  you  suppose  we'll  get  another  challenge 
from  the  Rockville  Military  Academy?" 

"Sure  we  will,"  burst  out  Shadow.  "They'll 
want  to  wipe  out  the  defeat  of  last  year." 

"Gus  Plum  has  organized  a  football  team  of  his 
own,"  observed  Sam.  "He  has  got  Poole  and  a 
lot  of  new  students  in  it.  They  call  themselves  the 
Arrows,  and  one  boy  told  me  they  were  going  to 
have  suits  with  arrows  embroidered  on  them." 


22  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"By  the  way,  what  of  Chip  Macklin?"  asked 
Dave. 

"He  is  around  and  as  bright  as  a  button,"  an- 
swered Sam.  "It  is  simply  wonderful  what  a 
change  there  is  in  that  chap  since  he  cut  away  from 
Plum." 

"Oh,  look  at  the  apples!"  cried  out  Ben,  as  the 
carryall  made  a  turn  in  the  road.  He  pointed  to  a 
tree  in  a  field  loaded  with  the  fruit.  "Wish  I  had 
one." 

"You  won't  get  any  there,"  declared  Shadow. 
"That's  Mike  Marcy's  field  and  he  keeps  any  num- 
ber of  dogs." 

"Well,  I  never!"  burst  out  Sam,  feeling  down 
under  the  seat.  "If  you  hadn't  spoken  I  should 
have  forgotten  them  entirely."  He  brought  out  a 
bag  containing  a  dozen  big  red  apples.  "I  bought 
them  while  we  were  waiting  for  the  train.  Here, 
boys,  help  yourselves."  And  he  passed  them 
around. 

"Thank  you,  Sam,"  said  Dave,  as  he  bit  into  one 
of  the  apples.  "This  is  fine."  And  the  others 
said  the  same. 

Each  had  his  story  to  tell,  and  Sam  and  Shadow 
listened  with  eager  interest  while  Dave  told  of  nis 
long  trip  across  the  Pacific,  and  his  many  adven- 
tures since  he  had  left  the  academy. 

"Sounds  almost  like  a  fairy  tale,"  declared  Sam. 
"I'd  like  to  see  something  of  the  world  myself." 


DAVE'S  RETURN  TO  OAK  HALL        23 

The  carryall  made  another  turn  and  came  in 
sight  of  the  river,  dotted  here  and  there  with  small 
craft.  Along  the  shore  grew  some  bushes  and  a 
few  trees. 

"I  see  some  of  the  fellows  are  out  rowing,"  ob- 
served Dave.  "I'd  like  to  go  out  myself  some 
day,  before  it  gets  too  cold." 

The  carryall  was  passing  a  point  where  the  road 
was  considerably  higher  than  the  surface  of  the 
stream.  Dave  had  bitten  into  a  second  apple,  that 
proved  to  be  wormy.  Now  he  leaned  out  of  the 
carryall  and  sent  the  fruit  spinning  down  through 
the  bushes  toward  the  river. 

"Hi!  hi!"  came  back  a  voice  from  the  shore 
below.     "Who  hit  me?" 

"Gracious,  I  must  have  hit  somebody!"  ex- 
claimed Dave.     "I  didn't  mean  to  do  it." 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  the  driver, 
pulling  his  team  in. 

"You  needn't  stop,"  answered  Ben.  "Dave 
threw  an  apple  away,  that's  all." 

"I've  got  to  fix  the  harness — there's  a  strap 
loose,"  went  on  Lemond,  and  leaped  to  the  ground. 
He  was  at  work  when  a  man  appeared,  climbing  up 
the  river  bank  through  the  bushes.  It  was  Job 
Haskers,  one  of  the  assistant  teachers  at  the 
Hall,  the  only  instructor  the  students  did  not 
like. 

"Ha  !  so  some  of  you  played  a  trick  on  me,  eh?" 


24  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

fumed  Job  Haskers,  as  he  emerged  upon  the  road 
and  strode  toward  the  carryall.  "Nice  doings,  I 
must  say!" 

"Did  the  apple  hit  you,  Mr.  Haskers?"  asked 
Dave,  mildly. 

"Did  it  hit  me?  I  should  say  it  did,  right  on 
top  of  the  head." 

"I  am  sorry,  sir." 

"So  you  threw  it,  Porter.  I  am  amazed  that 
you  would  dare  do  such  a  thing." 

"I  didn't  know  you  were  down  there — in  fact,  I 
didn't  know  anybody  was  there." 

"A  likely  story,"  sneered  the  teacher,  who  was 
very  often  hot-headed  and  unreasonable. 

"I  am  telling  the  truth,  sir,"  and  Dave's  face 
flushed. 

"I  cannot  go  out  for  a  quiet  stroll  by  the  river 
side  but  somebody  must  hit  me  in  the  head  with  a 
hard  apple,"  growled  the  instructor.  "Have  you 
just  arrived?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"You  ought  to  be  more  careful  of  what  you  are 
doing." 

"As  I  said  before,  I  didn't  know  anybody  was 
down  there." 

"I  presume  you  didn't  want  to  see  me."  The 
teacher  turned  to  all  of  the  boys.  "Where  did  you 
get  those  apples?"  he  asked,  suspiciously. 

"I  bought  them  in  Oakdale,"  answered  Sam. 


DAVE'S  RETURN  TO  OAK  HALL        25 

"Haven't  been  stopping  at  some  orchard  on  the 
way?" 

"You  may  ask  Mr.  Cassello,  the  fruit  man,  if 
you  don't  believe  me,"  and  Sam  drew  himself  up. 

"Well,  be  more  careful  after  this,  or  you'll  hear 
from  me!"  answered  Job  Haskers,  and  strode  off 
down  the  road  in  a  thoroughly  bad  humor. 

"Phew !  but  we  are  catching  it  all  along  the 
line,"  was  Ben's  comment.  "First  Plum  and 
Poole,  and  now  Haskers.  Wonder  what  we'll 
strike  next?" 

"I  didn't  mean  to  hit  anybody,"  said  Dave. 
"How  peppery  he  is!" 

"And  he  thinks  we  took  the  apples  from  some 
orchard,"  added  Sam. 

"Well,  such  things  have  happened,"  observed 
Ben,  with  a  grin. 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  another  story,"  said 
Shadow.  "There  was  a  little  boy,  and  his  mother 
had  been  away  nearly  all  day.  'Mamma,'  said  he 
when  she  came  home,  'can  I  have  two  apples?' 
'Won't  one  do?'  she  asked.  'No,  I  want  two,' 
'Very  well,'  said  his  mother.  Then  she  saw  him 
go  to  the  basket  and  get  one  apple.  'I  thought 
you  wanted  two,'  she  remarked.  'Oh,'  he 
answered,  T  had  the  other  one  this  morn- 
ing!'" 

Sam  burst  out  laughing  and  so  did  the  others. 
"I  see  the  drift  of  that,"  said  Sam.     "You  haven't 


26  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

forgotten  when  we  went  to  Japlet's  orchard  after 
apples " 

"And  the  bull  cornered  Sam,"  said  Ben.  "Don't 
forget  that,  Sam." 

"Nevertheless,  Haskers  is  hard  on  us,  and  he 
had  no  business  to  call  Dave  down  as  he  did,  just 
for  throwing  the  apple  into  the  bushes." 

"Perhaps  he  has  found  out  something  about  that 
ram  and  how  he  got  up  in  his  room,"  whispered 
Ben,  and  then  a  laugh  went  up,  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  driver  started  up  the  carryall  and  the 
journey  to  Oak  Hall  was  resumed. 

Dave  was  on  the  watch,  to  catch  his  first  sight  of 
the  school.  They  were  passing  through  a  bit  of 
woodland.  Now  they  made  a  turn,  and  rolled  out 
in  front  of  a  broad  campus  lined  on  either  side  with 
a  boxwood  hedge.  At  each  corner  of  the  campus 
were  clumps  of  monstrous  oaks,  the  leaves  of  which 
had  just  begun  to  turn,  and  at  the  entrance  were 
more  of  the  same  kind  of  trees. 

The  school  itself  was  a  thoroughly  up-to-date 
structure,  of  brick  and  stone,  laid  out  in  the  shape 
of  a  broad  cross.  The  classrooms,  the  office,  and 
the  dining  hall  and  kitchen  were  on  the  ground 
floor  and  the  dormitories  and  private  bedrooms 
and  the  bathrooms  were  above.  Off  to  one  side  of 
the  campus  was  the  gymnasium,  and  down  by  the 
river  were  a  boathouse  and  a  row  of  bathing 
houses. 


DAVE'S  RETURN  TO  OAK  HALL    2; 

"Hurrah!  Here  we  are  at  last!"  cried  Dave, 
and  his  heart  gave  a  bound. 

"Let  us  give  'em  the  old  song,  boys !"  cried  Sam 
Day,  who  was  a  good  singer,  and  he  at  once  started 
up  the  following,  to  the  tune  of  "Auld  Lang 
Syne": 

"  Oak  Hall  we  never  shall  forget, 

No  matter  where  we  roam; 
It  is  the  very  best  of  schools, 

To  us  it's  just  like  home. 
Then  give  three  cheers,  and  let  them  ring 

Throughout  this  world  so  wide, 
To  let  the  people  know  that  we 

Elect  to  here  abide  !  " 

They  sang  with  a  will,  and  when  they  had 
finished  they  added  the  old  academy  cry : 

"  Baseball  ! 
Football  ! 
Oak  Hall 
Has  the  call ! 
Biff!  Boom!  Bang!  Whoop!" 

"Hello!  hello!"  sang  out  a  dozen  voices  from 
the  campus.  "Here  come  some  more  of  the  old 
students !" 

"There's  Dave  Porter  and  Ben  Basswood!" 

"Hello,  Dave,  how  do  you  feel  after  traveling 
across  the  Pacific?" 

"Bring  any  of  those  South  Sea  Islanders  with 
you?" 

"Mighty  glad  to  see  you  back,  old  man!" 


28  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

So  the  cries  rang  on,  as  Dave  and  the  others  left 
the  carryall.  Dave  was  surrounded,  and  half  a 
dozen  tried  to  shake  hands  at  once. 

"We  want  you  on  the  football  team,  Dave," 
said  one. 

"I'm  glad  to  know  you  found  your  folks,"  added 
another. 

"You've  come  back  to  stay  now,  haven't  you?" 
asked  a  third. 

Dave  shook  hands  all  around.  As  the  school 
song  had  it,  the  place  felt  just  like  home.  For  the 
time  being  his  heart  was  lighter  than  ever,  and  his 
return  to  Oak  Hall  filled  him  with  more  pleasure 
than  words  can  express. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN   THE    DORMITORY 

It  took  Dave  several  days  to  settle  down  and 
during  that  time  he  heard  but  little  from  Gus  Plum 
and  Nat  Poole,  who  prudently  kept  their  distance, 
awaiting  the  time  when  they  might  do  Dave  some 
injury. 

During  those  days  Roger  Morr  and  Phil  Law- 
rence arrived,  both  hale  and  hearty  from  their  trip 
with  Dave  across  the  Pacific.  The  senator's  son 
had  spent  two  days  in  Washington  with  his  father, 
while  Phil  had  been  settling  up  some  affairs  with 
his  parent  regarding  the  cargo  of  the  Stormy 
Petrel. 

"This  is  certainly  like  old  times,"  remarked 
Roger,  as  the  crowd  sat  in  their  dormitory.  "I 
hope  we  have  as  much  sport  as  we  did  last 
season." 

"We  will  have,  don't  worry,"  answered  Phil. 

"Provided  Job  Haskers  doesn't  stop  us,"  said 
Buster  Beggs,  who  was  lying  across  one  of  the 
beds.     "Tell  you  what,  boys,  he  is  sharp  on  this 

29 


30  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

term.  Yesterday  he  caught  me  writing  on  the 
boathouse  wall  and  he  made  me  write  'chirography' 
five  hundred  times." 

"Well,  that's  a  good  way  to  improve  your  hand- 
writing," answered  Dave,  with  a  srmle.  "I've 
done  a  little  of  that  sort  of  thing  myself." 

"He  kept  me  in  two  hours  yesterday,  when  I 
wanted  to  play  football,"  growled  Shadow  Hamil- 
ton.     "It  was  a  burning  shame." 

"But  what  did  you  do?"  questioned  Roger. 

"Oh,  nothing  much.  Nat  Poole  was  coming 
down  the  aisle  and  he  made  a  face  at  me.  1 
happened  to  stretch  out  my  leg  and  Poole  tripped 
and  went  flat.  Then  old  Haskers  said  it  was  all 
my  fault." 

"And  what  did  Poole  say?"  asked  Sam,  with 
interest. 

"Oh,  he  threatened  to  punch  me  good — but  he 
didn't  do  it.  He  started  to  quarrel  after  school, 
but  Gus  Plum  called  him  off." 

"Well,  that  was  queer,"  observed  Dave.  "Gen- 
erally Gus  is  out  for  a  fight." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  came  from 
Shadow.     "A  little " 

"Narrative  No.  206,"  broke  in  Sam. 

"You  shan't  keep  me  from  telling  it,"  went  on 
Shadow,  calmly.      "A  little  man " 

"How  small?"  asked  Roger,  with  a  wink  at  the 
others. 


IN  THE  DORMITORY  31 

"Oh,  that  hasn't  anything  to  do  with  it.  A  lit- 
tle man  once  met  another  man " 

"Was  the  other  man  small,  too?"  questioned 
Phil,  seriously. 

"Never  mind  if  he  was  or  not.  A  little  man 
once  met  another  man  who  had  a  big  bulldog  with 
him " 

"What  was  the  color  of  the  bulldog?"  asked 
Dave. 

"What  color?     See  here,  I " 

"When  you  tell  a  story,  Shadow,  give  us  the  de- 
tails, by  all  means.  Was  he  white  or  black,  red  or 
yellow?  Or  maybe  he  was  cream-color,  or  sky- 
pink,  or " 

"He  was — er — he  was  a  regular  bulldog  color. 
Well,  this  man " 

"Sort  of  a  brownish  blue,  with  a  dash  of  crimson 
and  violet,"  suggested  Phil. 

"He  was  a  regular  common,  everyday  bulldog, 
only  he  was  very  big  and  very  savage." 

"Muzzled,  of  course,"  came  from  Roger. 
"Bulldogs  always  are." 

"I  saw  one  once  that  wasn't,"  added  Buster 
Beggs. 

"Some  of  'em  wear  silver-plated  muzzles,"  ob- 
served Sam. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  this  bulldog  had  a  silver- 
plated  muzzle?"  demanded  Dave,  turning  to 
Shadow. 


32  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Who  in  creation  said  he  had  a  muzzle?"  cried 
the  would-be  story-teller.     "I  said " 

"I  know  you  did,  Shadow  dear,"  said  Luke 
Watson,  who  sat  on  a  low  stool  with  his  banjo  in 
his  lap,  tuning  up.  "Don't  let  them  sidetrack  you, 
or  the  bulldog  either." 

"What  I  want  to  know  is  this,"  said  Phil,  im- 
pressively. "Were  those  men  white  or  black? 
That  may  have  a  very  important  bearing  on  the 
moral  of  the  tale." 

"See  here,  if  you  don't  want  to  hear  the 
story "  began  Shadow,  half  angrily. 

"We  do!  we  do!"  came  from  several  at  once. 

"We  are  dying  for  you  to  finish,"  said  Roger. 
"Now  start  up  again.  A  small  bulldog  once  came 
along,  leading  a  big,  fierce  man " 

"That's  not  right,"  broke  in  Buster.  "A  small 
bulldog  once  met  another  bulldog  leading  a  bull- 
dog-colored man  who " 

"Great  Caesar !  That's  as  bad  as  the  story  of 
the  canner,"  broke  in  Sam.  "The  canner  can  eat 
what  he  can  and  what  he  can't  he  can  can,  can't 
he?"     And  a  laugh  went  up. 

"I  am  going  to  tell  this  story  if  I  die  for  it," 
cried  Shadow.  "A  small  man — remember  that — 
met  another  man — remember  that — with  a  big, 
fierce  bulldog — remember  that.  The  small  man 
was  afraid,  but  he  didn't  want  to  show  it,  so  he  said 
to  the  man  with  the  bulldog :  Ts  that  dog  a  valuable 


IN  THE  DORMITORY  33 

animal?'  'Yes,'  says  the  other  man.  'Well, 
don't  let  him  loose,  then.'  'Why  not?'  'Because 
I  don't  like  dogs  and  I  might  hurt  him.'  Now 
there's  the  story,  and  you've  got  to  swallow  it 
whether  you  want  to  or  not." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  song,"  said  Luke 
Watson.  "Sam,  you  know  it,  and  can  join  in," 
and  he  began,  accompanying  himself  on  the  banjo : 

"  I  love  him,  I  love  him, 

He's  down  at  the  gate  ; 
He's  waiting  to  meet  me 

No  matter  how  late. 
He  loves  me  so  truly, 

It  fills  me  with  joy- 
To  hug  him  and  kiss  him — 

My  poodle  dog,  Floy  !  " 

The  song  rang  out  clearly  and  sweetly,  and  when 
the  verse  was  repeated  the  others  joined  in.  But 
then  came  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  Jim  Murphy, 
the  big-hearted  monitor,  appeared. 

"Hush!  not  so  loud,"  he  whispered,  warningly. 
"Haskers  is  coming  upstairs."  And  then  the 
monitor  disappeared  again. 

"I  know  what  that  means,"  said  Luke,  and  ris- 
ing he  put  his  banjo  away  in  a  closet.  "He 
stopped  me  before — he  shan't  have  the  chance  to 
do  it  again." 

The  boys  had  scarcely  settled  themselves  when 
Job  Haskers  appeared  and  gazed  sharply  around 


34  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

the  dormitory.     He  found  all  the  boys  either  writ- 
ing or  studying. 

"Who  is  making  that  noise  up  here?"  he  de- 
manded. 

To  this  there  was  no  reply. 

"If  I  hear  any  more  of  it  I  shall  punish  every- 
body in  this  room,"  added  the  assistant  teacher, 
and  went  out  again,  closing  the  door  sharply  after 
him. 

"He's  in  an  elegant  humor  to-night,"  was  Phil's 
comment.  "Must  have  swallowed  some  tacks,  or 
a  cup  of  vinegar." 

"He  ought  to  be  taken  down  a  peg,"  said 
Shadow,  who  had  not  forgotten  how  he  had  been 
kept  in.  "I  wish  we  could  do  something  like  last 
term  when  we  got  Farmer  Cadmore's  ram  up  in 
his  room  and " 

"That's  it,"  cried  Buster.  "Only  it  won't  do 
to  try  the  same  joke  twice.  We'll  have  to  think  up 
something  new.     Polly,  give  us  an  idea." 

He  turned  to  Bertram  Vane,  who  sat  at  a  table, 
trying  to  write  a  composition.  Bertram  was  very 
girlish  in  appearance,  hence  the  nickname. 

"Please  don't  bother  me  now,"  pleaded  Polly. 
"I  want  to  finish  this  composition." 

"We  want  some  idea  to  work  off  on  Haskers. 
Open  up  your  knowledge  box,  Polly,"  came  from 
Phil. 

"Really  I  can't,"  returned  the  girlish  student. 


IN  THE  DORMITORY  35 

"I  am  writing  a  composition  on  Bats,  and  I 
want " 

"Baseball  bats?"  questioned  Roger. 

"No,  no,  living  bats.  Their  habits  are  very  in- 
teresting, and " 

"Polly  has  solved  the  question  for  us!"  ex- 
claimed Dave,  and  began  to  grin.  "Just  the  thing ! 
Polly,  have  you  written  much  yet?" 

"No,  I  hadn't  the  chance,  with  so  much  talking 
going  on." 

"Then  you  had  better  change  your  subject,  for  I 
don't  think  Mr.  Haskers  will  want  to  read  a  com- 
position on  Bats  to-morrow — not  if  the  plan  goes 
through." 

"What  is  the  plan?"  came  eagerly  from  several 
of  the  others. 

"I  just  happened  to  remember  that  one  of  the 
boys  over  at  Lapham's  farm  has  a  cage  full  of  bats 
that  he  caught  last  week.  He  said  he  would  sell 
them  for  fifty  cents.  Perhaps  Mr.  Haskers  would 
be  pleased  to  have  them  presented  to  him." 

"Whoop!  We'll  get  those  bats!"  shouted 
Phil. 

"And  put  them  in  his  room,"  added  Shadow. 

"And  as  we  are  modest  we  won't  say  where  the 
gift  came  from,"  remarked  Sam. 

The  plan  was  approved  by  everybody,  even 
Polly  Vane  smiling  faintly. 

"Bats  are  very  curious  creatures,"  he  observed. 


36  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"They  fly  in  people's  hair,  and  they  can  make  one 
very  uncomfortable." 

The  crowd  talked  the  matter  over,  and  it  was 
decided  to  get  the  bats  at  once,  if  it  could  be  done. 
As  Dave  knew  the  boy  who  had  the  creatures  he 
was  commissioned  to  go  after  them,  taking 
Shadow  and  Roger  along. 

It  was  still  early,  so  the  three  lads  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  getting  out  of  the  academy  building. 
They  did  not,  however,  dare  to  ask  for  permission 
to  leave  the  grounds,  and  so  stole  across  the  cam- 
pus to  the  gymnasium  building,  back  of  which  they 
vaulted  the  boxwood  hedge.  Close  at  hand  was  a 
road  leading  through  a  patch  of  woods  to  the  Lap- 
ham  farm,  whither  they  were  bound. 

"We  have  got  to  watch  out,  when  we  are  coming 
back,"  said  the  senator's  son,  as  they  trudged 
along.  "We  don't  want  to  get  caught  by  Haskers, 
or  Dr.  Clay  either." 

"When  we  return  one  of  us  can  go  ahead  and 
see  if  the  coast  is  clear,"  answered  Dave.  "It  will 
be  all  right  unless  somebody  has  been  playing  the 
spy  on  us." 

"I  didn't  see  anybody." 

"Neither  did  I,  but  I  believe  they  are  going  to 
enforce  the  rules  more  strictly  than  ever  this  sea- 
son." 

It  was  a  cool,  clear  night,  with  hundreds  of  stars 
twinkling  in  the  sky.     They  knew  the  road  well, 


IN  THE  DORMITORY  37 

having  traveled  it  many  times  before.  They  left 
the  woods  behind,  and  then  came  out  on  a  small 
hill,  below  which  was  the  farm  for  which  they  were 
bound. 

"Perhaps  the  Laphams  are  in  bed,"  said 
Shadow.    "Some  farmers  go  to  bed  mighty  early." 

"I  know  it,  especially  when  the  days  are  short," 
answered  Dave.  "Well,  if  the  boy's  asleep  we'll 
have  to  wake  him  up.  I  guess  he'll  be  glad  enough 
to  sell  the  bats.  He  said  his  mother  didn't  want 
him  to  have  them  around." 

"I  see  a  light  in  the  house,"  said  Roger,  as  they 
drew  closer.     "Have  they  a  dog?" 

"No." 

"Then  we  can  go  right  up  to  the  door  and 
knock." 

The  three  students  entered  the  lane  leading  up 
to  the  farmhouse.  They  saw  a  light  flash  up  in 
one  lower  room  and  then  appear  in  the  next. 
While  they  were  gazing  it  suddenly  disappeared, 
leaving  the  farmhouse  in  total  darkness. 

"Evidently  they  are  just  going  to  bed,"  said 
Dave.     "Hurry  up,  before  they  get  upstairs." 

He  broke  into  a  swift  walk  and  the  others  did 
the  same.  They  were  close  to  the  front  porch  of 
the  house  when  they  heard  a  shrill  cry  from  within : 

"John!  Johnl  Wake  up!  There  is  some- 
body in  the  house !" 


CHAPTER  V 

SOMETHING   OF   A   MYSTERY 

"Did  you  hear  that?"  asked  the  senator's  son, 
as  he  and  his  companions  came  to  a  halt  on  the 
porch  of  the  farmhouse. 

"I  did,  and  there  must  be  something  wrong," 
answered  Dave. 

"Perhaps  there  are  burglars  around,"  said 
Shadow.  "I  must  say,  I  don't  like  this,"  he  con- 
tinued, nervously. 

"There  was  a  burglary  in  Oakdale  night  before 
last,"  said  Dave.  "I  heard  Swingly  the  janitor 
telling  about  it." 

All  three  now  heard  a  commotion  in  the  farm- 
house. There  was  the  slamming  of  a  back  door, 
and  then  somebody  came  leaping  down  the  inside 
stairs. 

"Where  is  he,  Jane?"  they  heard  in  a  man's 
voice. 

"I  don't  know,  but  I  heard  the  back  door  shut," 
answered  a  woman's  voice.  "And  I  saw  a 
light." 

"I  don't  see  anybody,"  went  on  the  man  of  the 
38 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  39 

house,  and  lit  a  match.  Soon  he  had  a  lamp  in  his 
hand,  with  which  he  went  to  the  back  door. 

"Did  you  leave  the  wash-shed  window  open?" 
he  called  out. 

"No,"  returned  Mrs.  Lapham.  "I  shut  it 
tight." 

"It's  open  wide, — and  the  back  door  is  un- 
locked," went  on  her  husband. 

"Any  thieves  around,  pop?"  came  in  a  boyish 
voice. 

"Better  git  the  gun,"  advised  another  boy,  Bob' 
Lapham,  who  had  the  bats  for  sale. 

The  man  went  out  in  the  yard,  lamp  in  hand. 
As  he  did  this,  the  three  students  walked  around  to 
meet  him. 

"Hello,  what  do  you  want?"  demanded  John 
Lapham,  halting  and  staring  at  his  unexpected  vis- 
itors. "Were  you  in  my  house?"  he  continued, 
suspiciously. 

"No,  sir,  we  just  came  up,"  answered  Dave. 
"We  want  to  buy  those  bats  your  son  has  for  sale." 

"Did  you  see  anybody  around  here — I  mean 
going  out  just  now?" 

"No." 

"We  saw  a  light,  in  the  parlor  and  the  sitting 
room,"  said  Roger.  "It  went  out  just  as  we  came 
up." 

"Then  my  wife  must  be  right.  Somebody  has 
been  in  the  house.     I  must  take  a  look  around." 


40  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

The  two  Lapham  boys  now  came  out,  and  the 
whole  crowd  looked  around  the  farmhouse  and  the 
stable  near  by.     Not  a  soul  was  in  sight  anywhere. 

"Whoever  he  was,  he  has  gotten  away,"  said  the 
farmer,  soberly.  "I  hope  he  didn't  steal  any- 
thing." 

He  and  his  sons  were  but  partly  dressed  and  they 
went  in  the  house  again,  followed  by  the  students, 
who  were  curious  to  learn  if  anything  had  been 
taken. 

"I  brought  home  a  lot  of  stuff  from  my  aunt's 
house  yesterday,"  explained  John  Lapham.  "She 
is  breaking  up  housekeeping  and  gave  us  her  silver- 
ware and  such.     I  had  it  all  in  the  box  yonder." 

He  set  down  the  lamp  and  threw  aside  the  cover 
of  the  box  he  had  pointed  out.  One  look  inside 
and  he  gave  a  groan. 

"The  silverware  is  gone!" 

"All  of  it?"  queried  one  of  his  sons. 

"Yes,  and  the  cut  glass  fruit  dish  is  gone  too !" 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Lapham  had  dressed  and  now 
she  came  down.     At  the  news  she  burst  into  tears. 

"Oh,  John,  you  must  get  after  those  burglars!" 

"Can  there  have  been  more  than  one?"  asked 
Dave. 

"I  think  I  heard  two  men  moving  around,  but  I 
am  not  sure,"  said  the  woman. 

Another  search  was  made  by  the  students,  while 
the  farmer  and  his  sons  hastily  donned  the  rest  of 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  41 

their  clothing.  Then  John  Lapham  brought  forth 
a  shot-gun. 

"I'm  going  to  get  that  stuff  back,"  said  he,  de- 
terminedly. "You  say  the  burglars  didn't  go  out 
by  the  front  road?" 

"We  didn't  see  anybody,"  answered  Roger. 

"Then  they  must  have  taken  to  the  lane  that 
leads  down  to  the  river." 

"Let  us  go  down  and  see,  pop,"  said  Bob  Lap- 
ham,  eagerly. 

So  it  was  agreed,  and  after  a  few  words  Dave 
and  his  chums  went  along.  For  the  time  being  the 
bats  were  forgotten. 

"This  may  get  us  into  a  mess  at  the  Hall,"  whis- 
pered Shadow,  as  they  hurried  along.  "In  telling 
the  news  Mr.  Lapham  will  be  sure  to  mention  us." 

"Well,  that  can't  be  helped,  and  we'll  have  to 
get  out  of  it  the  best  we  can,"  answered  Dave. 
"It's  our  duty  to  help  capture  those  burglars,  if  it 
can  be  done." 

The  whole  party  walked  down  the  lane  leading 
to  the  river,  which,  at  this  point,  overflowed  a  por- 
tion of  the  Lapham  meadow.  The  farmer  had 
brought  along  his  barn  lantern. 

"I  see  something!"  cried  Dave,  as  a  bright  ob- 
ject caught  his  eye.  But  it  was  only  a  battered  tin 
can,  which  caused  everybody  to  utter  a  short  laugh. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  reach  the  water's  edge. 
Here  they  saw  where  a  rowboat  had  been  hauled 


42  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

up  on  the  bank.  In  the  mud  and  grass  they  made 
out  the  footsteps  of  two  men,  but  that  was  all. 

"Have  you  had  a  boat  up  here  in  the  last  few 
days?"  asked  Dave  of  the  farmer. 

"Ain't  had  a  boat  here  in  a  month." 

"Then  this  must  have  been  the  burglars'  boat." 

"I  think  so."  John  Lapham  gave  something  of 
a  sigh.      "They  got  a  good  start." 

"Yes,  and  we  don't  know  which  way  they  went," 
added  one  of  his  sons. 

"Have  you  any  idea  what  the  stuff  that  was 
stolen  was  worth?"  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"Fifty  or  sixty  dollars,  maybe  more." 

"I  shouldn't  think  any  professional  burglars 
would  bother  to  take  such  a  small  amount,"  was 
Shadow's  comment.  "Maybe  they  are  worthless 
characters  from  around  here." 

"Like  as  not,"  answered  the  farmer.  "Maybe 
the  same  rascals  that  robbed  Jerry  Logan's  house 
at  Oakdale.  They  got  about  fifty  dollars'  worth 
there  too." 

They  looked  out  upon  the  river  as  best  they 
could,  but  not  a  craft  of  any  kind  was  in  sight,  nor 
could  they  hear  any  sound  of  rowing.  The  farmer 
drew  a  long  sigh. 

"I'm  stumped,"  he  declared. 

"You'd  better  notify  the  authorities,"  suggested 
Roger. 

"Won't  do  a  bit  o'  good.     The  constable  ain't 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  43 

worth  his  salt,  and  the  justice  ain't  no  good  either. 
If  I  want  to  find  those  burglars  I've  got  to  do  it 
myself." 

"Have  you  a  boat?" 

"No,  but  I  can  get  one  in  the  morning,  and  I'll 
get  some  of  the  neighbors  to  help  me." 

There  seemed  nothing  more  to  do  just  then,  and 
the  whole  party  returned  to  the  farmhouse.  Then 
Dave  explained  what  he  had  come  for  to  Bob 
Lapham. 

"All  right,  you  can  have  the  bats,"  said  the  farm 
boy.  "They  are  in  the  barn.  But  what  do  you 
want  of  them?" 

"Oh,  we  were  going  to  use  them  for  something 
— but  perhaps  we  won't  now,"  said  Dave,  and 
handed  over  the  amount  to  be  paid.  Soon  the  bats 
were  brought  forth,  in  a  battered  mocking-bird 
cage.     They  were  a  round  dozen  in  number. 

"See  here,  Bob,  don't  say  anything  to  anybody 
about  our  coming  here,"  whispered  Roger,  slipping 
an  extra  quarter  into  the  farm  boy's  hand.  "We 
are  not  supposed  to  be  away  from  the  Hall,  you 
know." 

"All  right,  I  won't  say  anything." 

"And  keep  your  brother  and  your  father  quiet 
too, — if  you  can." 

"I'll  do  my  best.  I  don't  know  your  names 
anyway." 

"None  of  them?" 


44  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"No." 

"Good  enough.  Now  we  are  off.  Good- 
night." 

The  boys  were  about  to  turn  from  the  farm- 
house when  John  Lapham  called  them  back. 

"What  do  you  want?"  asked  Dave,  and  a 
sudden  strange  sensation  took  possession  of  him. 

"I've  been  thinking  that  things  look  rather 
queer,"  went  on  the  farmer,  pointedly. 

"In  what  way?"  demanded  Shadow. 

"How  was  it  that  you  didn't  knock  on  the  front 
door  when  you  first  came  here?" 

"We  heard  a  noise  and  we  listened  to  find  out 
what  it  meant,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

"It  seems  mighty  queer  to  me,"  said  the  farmer, 
doggedly. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Lapham?"  demanded 
Dave,  his  face  beginning  to  burn. 

"It's  queer  you  should  come  here  this  time  of 
night  just  to  get  some  bats  that  ain't  any  good  to 
nobody." 

"Well,  that  is  what  we  came  for  and  nothing 
else." 

"You're  sure  you  don't  know  anything  about 
that  robbery?" 

"Mr.  Lapham,  do  you  take  us  for  thieves?" 
cried  the  senator's  son,  hotly. 

"I  didn't  say  that;  I  said  it  was  queer." 

"You  know  we  haven't  the  stolen  stuff." 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  45 

"And  you  are  sure  you  don't  know  anything 
about  those  other  chaps?"  mused  the  farmer. 

"Not  a  thing,"  answered  Dave.  "All  we  saw 
was  the  light  just  before  it  went  out,  and  heard  the 
noise." 

"It  is  preposterous  to  think  we  would  come  here 
to  take  your  silverware,"  went  on  Roger,  warmly. 

"Oh,  pop,  they  are  all  right,"  said  Bob  Lapham. 
"All  the  students  at  Oak  Hall  are  honest  fel- 
lows." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  was  the  grim  answer. 
"They  don't  seem  to  be  honest  when  it  comes  to 
getting  in  our  orchards." 

"I  have  never  been  in  your  orchard,"  said  Dave. 

"Nor  I,"  added  Shadow. 

"Nor  I,"  affirmed  the  senator's  son. 

"Last  season  I  had  about  half  of  my  fruit 
stolen." 

"Well,  some  of  it  was  taken  by  the  boys  from 
the  military  academy,  you  must  remember,"  said 
Bob  Lapham,  who  evidently  wanted  to  help  the 
Oak  Hall  students  all  he  could. 

"Yes,  I  know  that." 

"We  are  totally  innocent,"  asserted  Shadow. 
"I  don't  see  how  you  can  suspect  us." 

"What  is  your  name?"  demanded  the  farmer. 

Shadow  hesitated  and  then  straightened  up. 

"I  am  not  ashamed  to  tell  you.  It  is  Maurice 
Hamilton." 


46  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"And  what  is  yours,  young  man?"  went  on  John 
Lapham,  turning  to  Dave. 

"David  Porter." 

"And  yours?" 

"Roger  Morr." 

"Morr,  eh?     Do  you  belong  around  here?" 

"No,  sir,  I  come  from  near  Hemson." 

"Oh!  Then  you  ain't  related  to  Mr.  Samuel 
Morr,  of  Bainridge?" 

"I  am.     He  is  my  uncle." 

"Are  you  Senator  Morr's  son?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Oh!"  The  farmer's  face  changed  slightly. 
"Well,  that  makes  a  difference.  I  know  Mr. 
Samuel  Morr  quite  well,"  he  continued,  but  did  not 
add  that  Roger's  uncle  held  his  note  for  two  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  he  wished  the  same  renewed  for 
three  months.  "Of  course,  if  you  are  Senator 
Morr's  son  it  is  all  right,  and  I  am  sure  you  didn't 
have  anything  to  do  with  the  robbery." 


CHAPTER  VI 

JOB    HASKERS's   BAD   NIGHT 

After  that  the  farmer  questioned  the  boys 
further  concerning  their  visit  to  his  home  and  at 
last  drew  from  the  students  their  whole  story. 
When  they  acknowledged  that  they  wanted  to  play 
a  joke  on  Job  Haskers  he  smiled  broadly. 

"I  know  that  man,"  he  said.  "He  wanted  to 
buy  some  apples  and  potatoes  here  once,  to  ship  to 
some  of  his  folks,  and  he  was  so  close  and  mean 
about  it,  I  wouldn't  sell  him  anything.  Go  ahead 
and  play  your  joke  on  him,  and  I  won't  say  any- 
thing about  it." 

"And  you  won't  say  anything  about  our  visit 
here?"  questioned  Roger,  eagerly. 

"Not  a  thing — unless,  of  course,  it  becomes  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  do  so." 

"You're  a  brick,  Mr.  Lapham,"  cried  Dave, 
much  relieved.  "We'll  do  all  we  can  to  help  you 
catch  those  burglars." 

"That  we  will,"  added  Shadow. 

"I  am  afraid  we'll  never  catch  them,  boys.     The 

47 


48  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

constable  here  is  no  good,  and  I  don't  know  where 
to  look  for  them,"  responded  the  farmer. 

A  few  minutes  later  found  the  students  on  the 
return  to  Oak  Hall,  Dave  carrying  the  cage  full  of 
bats. 

"That  was  a  narrow  escape,"  was  Shadow's  com- 
ment, as  they  hurried  along  to  make  up  for  lost 
time.  "I  thought  sure  he'd  report  the  matter  to 
Dr.  Clay." 

"To  think  we  should  run  into  a  burglary!"  de- 
clared the  senator's  son. 

"I  wonder  if  the  same  fellows  robbed  Mr.  Lap- 
ham  who  committed  the  robbery  at  Oakdale  ?" 

"It  is  more  than  likely.  I  hope  they  catch  the 
fellows." 

It  did  not  take  the  three  youths  long  to  reach  the 
academy  grounds.  Roger  slipped  in  ahead  and 
was  gone  five  minutes. 

"Hurry  up — the  coast  is  clear!"  he  whispered, 
on  coming  back.  "The  side  door  is  open  and  no- 
body on  the  stairs,  so  far  as  I  could  see." 

They  ran  across  the  campus,  Dave  with  the  cage 
full  of  bats  still  in  his  hand  They  had  almost 
reached  the  door  when,  they  heard  it  slam  shut. 
Then  the  key  was  turned  and  the  bolt  shot  into 
place. 

"We're  locked  out!"  whispered  Shadow,  in  con- 
sternation. 

"Let  us  try  the  other  doors,"  suggested  Dave. 


JOB  HASKERS'S  BAD  NIGHT  49 

They  did  this,  making  the  entire  round  of  the 
school  building.  Every  door  was  shut  and 
locked,  even  that  to  the  kitchen  addition  being 
tight. 

"Now  we  are  in  a  pickle  and  no  mistake," 
groaned  the  senator's  son. 

"I  suppose  the  other  fellows  have  gotten  tired  of 
waiting  for  us  and  gone  to  bed,"  said  Shadow. 
"We've  been  away  an  hour  and  a  half  longer  than 
we  expected." 

"One  thing  is  certain,  we  must  get  into  the  Hall 
somehow,"  said  Dave.  "We  can't  stay  out  here 
all  night." 

"Let  us  go  around  under  one  of  our  windows," 
said  Roger. 

They  were  soon  under  a  window  of  Dormitory 
No.  12.  It  was  open  from  the  top  to  admit  the 
fresh  air.  All  was  dark  in  the  school  building  and 
they  had  only  the  starlight  to  guide  them. 

Gathering  up  a  handful  of  pebbles,  Dave  threw 
them  at  the  window  and  Roger  and  Shadow  fol- 
lowed suit.  At  first  nobody  paid  attention  to  this. 
Then  the  window  was  raised  from  the  bottom  and 
the  head  of  Phil  appeared. 

"Hello  you!"  he  called  softly.  "Thought  you 
were  going  to  make  a  night  of  it." 

"We  were  delayed,"  answered  Dave.  "All  the 
doors  are  locked.     Can't  you  open  one  for  us?" 

"I'll  see." 


50  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Phil's  head  disappeared,  and  then  Sam  Day  and 
Buster  Beggs  showed  themselves. 

"Got  the  bats?"  asked  Sam. 

"Yes." 

"Where  are  they?" 

"Here,  in  this  cage." 

"Good  enough!" 

The  boys  below  waited  fully  five  minutes  after 
that.     Then  Phil  appeared  once  more. 

"It's  pretty  risky  to  open  a  door,"  he  announced. 
"Mr.  Dale  is  below,  and  so  are  Pop  Swingly  and 
one  or  two  others.  I  think  they  are  watching  for 
somebody." 

"I  hope  they  are  not  watching  for  us,"  returned 
Shadow,  with  a  shiver. 

"No,  I  think  they  are  looking  for  some  other 
fellows  who  went  out." 

"Here's  a  fishing  line,"  said  Sam.  "You  can  send 
up  the  bats  on  that,  if  you  like.  Then  if  you  are 
caught,  they  won't  find  out  what  you  were  after." 

"A  good  idea,"  answered  Dave,  and  tied  the 
cage  to  the  end  of  the  line.  Soon  the  bats  were 
hauled  up  to  the  dormitory  and  stowed  away  in  a 
safe  place. 

"I  wish  we  could  go  up  on  the  line  too,"  said 
Shadow,  wistfully. 

"We  can  get  a  ladder  from  the  barn  and  go  up, 
if  you  say  so,"  suggested  Roger.  "Only,  what 
will  we  do  with  the  ladder  afterwards?" 


Dave  began  to  mount  the  improvised  rope.  — Page  51. 


JOB  HASKERS'S  BAD  NIGHT  51 

"The  ladder  would  expose  us,"  said  Dave. 
"I've  got  a  plan.  Take  the  bed  sheets  and  make  a 
rope  of  them,  and  we'll  haul  ourselves  up  some- 
how." 

The  charm  of  this  idea  took  instantly,  and  those 
in  the  dormitory  set  to  work  to  knot  together  five 
or  six  sheets  without  delay.  Then  one  end  was 
held  fast  while  the  other  was  dropped  to  the 
ground. 

"Will  it  hold?"  questioned  Roger.  "We  don't 
want  to  break  our  necks." 

"I'll  try  it,"  said  Dave,  and  began  to  mount  the 
improvised  rope  hand  over  hand,  bracing  his  feet 
against  the  brick  and  stone  building  as  he  did  so. 
As  the  youth  was  a  pretty  good  athlete  he  had 
small  trouble  in  gaining  the  top  and  hopping  into 
the  dormitory.  Then  Shadow  came  up,  followed 
by  the  senator's  son,  and  the  bed  sheets  were  hauled 
back  and  separated.  The  sheets  were  somewhat 
mussed  from  the  strange  usage,  but  that  was  all. 

The  other  boys  wanted  to  know  what  had  kept 
Dave  and  his  companions  so  long,  but  it  was  too 
late  to  relate  the  whole  story. 

"We  can  tell  it  in  the  morning,"  said  the  sena- 
tor's son.  "Just  now  let  us  see  how  the  land  lies 
for  getting  the  bats  into  old  Haskers's  room." 

He  and  Dave  tiptoed  their  way  out  into  the  hall- 
way, which  was  dark  saving  for  a  faint  light  near 
a  bathroom  door.     Not  a  person  was  in  sight,  but 


52  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

a  faint  murmur  of  voices  came  from  a  room 
below. 

"I  am  afraid  he  will  have  his  door  locked,"  said 
Dave.  "He  learned  his  lesson  when  he  had  the 
trouble  with  the  ram." 

But  to  their  satisfaction  they  found  the  door  to 
the  assistant  teacher's  bedroom  unlocked.  They 
listened  and  heard  Job  Haskers  breathing  heavily. 

"He  is  sound  asleep,"  whispered  Roger. 

"Let  us  put  the  key  on  the  outside  first,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

This  was  done,  and  then  the  two  boys  went  back 
for  the  cage  of  bats.  The  other  students  in  the 
dormitory  wanted  to  see  the  fun,  and  half  a  dozen 
went  out  into  the  hallway.  In  order  that  they 
might  not  be  seen  and  recognized,  the  light  was  ex- 
tinguished. 

"I  am  going  to  loosen  the  bottom  of  the  cage 
and  then  throw  the  whole  thing  on  Haskers's  bed," 
said  Dave.  "Stand  ready,  somebody,  to  lock  the 
door." 

"I'll  do  that,"  answered  Phil. 

With  caution  the  door  was  opened  for  a  little 
over  a  foot.  Then  Dave  loosened  the  bottom  of 
the  cage  and  shook  the  bats  up.  As  they  fluttered 
around  he  threw  cage  and  all  directly  on  the  teach- 
er's bed.  Then  the  door  was  quickly  closed  and 
locked  and  the  key  thrown  down  into  the  lower 
hallway. 


JOB  HASKERS'S  BAD  NIGHT  53 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence.  Then  from 
Job  Haskers's  room  there  arose  a  frightful 
shriek. 

"Help!  Get  away!  What  is  this?  Oh,  my 
eye !  Get  away,  I  say !  Oh !  oh !  Save  me !  I 
shall  be  killed !  Get  away !"  And  there  followed 
a  series  of  yells  and  thumps  and  the  overturning  of 
a  chair  and  a  table. 

"He  is  enjoying  himself — I  don't  think!"  cried 
Roger,  with  a  chuckle.  "Oh,  say,  listen  to 
that!" 

"Back  to  the  room,  or  we'll  be  discovered," 
warned  Phil,  and  back  they  ran  with  all  speed. 

But  the  strange  commotion  had  aroused  the 
whole  Hall,  and  dormitory  doors  were  opened  on 
all  sides  and  students  rushed  out  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  Then  Dr.  Clay  appeared,  garbed  in 
a  dressing  gown.  Andrew  Dale,  the  first  assistant 
teacher,  ran  up  from  below. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this  unseemly  noise?" 
thundered  the  good  doctor.  "Make  a  light,  some- 
body." 

Several  lights  were  lit.  In  the  meantime  the 
noise  in  Job  Haskers's  room  continued.  The  sec- 
ond assistant  was  having  a  hot  fight  with  the  bats. 
The  creatures  banged  him  in  the  face,  whizzed  past 
his  ears,  caught  in  his  rather  long  hair,  and  prac- 
tically scared  him  out  of  his  wits.  He  made  wild 
passes  at  them  with  his  hands,  dancing  around  in 


54  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

the  meanwhile,  and  in  his  bewilderment  brought 
down  a  steel  engraving  covered  with  glass  with  a 
tremendous  crash. 

"Mr.  Haskers  must  be  going  crazy!" 
"Perhaps  there  is  a  burglar  in  his  room!" 
"Look  out  that  you  don't  get  shot!" 
"I  know  what's  the  matter!"  cried  one  fun-lov- 
ing student.     "He   must   have   the   hydrophobia. 
He  said  a  dog  tried  to  bite  him  a  couple  of  days 
ago." 

"Oh,  if  he  has  gone  mad  I  don't  want 
him  to  bite  me!"  shrieked  one  of  the  younger 
students. 

"Better  chain  him  up  and  pour  water  on  him!" 
"Mr.  Haskers!"  thundered  the  doctor,  rattling 
the   doorknob.      "Mr.    Haskers !      What   is   the 
matter?     Open  the  door." 

But  the  noise  was  so  fearful  that  no  attention 
was  paid  to  the  request.  Then  came  another 
crash,  as  the  assistant  teacher  picked  up  a  book,  let 
it  fly  at  the  bats,  and  sent  a  big  pane  of  glass  in  the 
window  into  a  hundred  pieces. 

This  was  too  much  for  Dr.  Clay.  Satisfied  that 
something  dreadful  was  going  on,  he  put  his  shoul- 
der to  the  door  and  burst  it  open.  As  he  did  this, 
something  whizzed  past  his  ear  and  made  him 
dodge. 

"Stop!  Don't  throw  anything  at  me!"  he 
called.     "What  in  the  world  does  this  mean?" 


JOB  HASKERS'S  BAD  NIGHT  55 

"I  don't  know  what  it  means !"  roared  Job  Has- 
kers,  who  was  so  bewildered  he  scarcely  knew  what 
he  was  saying.  "Get  out  of  here!  Oh,  my  eye! 
That's  the  third  time  I've  been  hit!"  And  he 
made  another  sweep  at  his  invisible  enemy.  Then, 
as  Dr.  Clay  backed  into  the  hallway,  the  teacher 
followed  him  and  ran  down  the  corridor  like  one 
gone  crazy. 

By  this  time  somebody  was  bringing  a  lantern, 
and  Andrew  Dale  had  armed  himself  with  a  club. 
The  doorway  to  Job  Haskers's  room  had  been  left 
wide  open  and  the  sounds  within  had  suddenly 
ceased.  With  caution  Andrew  Dale  peered  in- 
side. 

"I  do  not  see  anything  out  of  the  ordinary,"  he 
announced,  looking  around  with  caution. 

"Maybe  the  bats  have  cleared  out!"  whispered 
Roger  to  Dave. 

"I  hope  they  have.  See,  the  window  is  open 
from  the  top,  and  the  bottom  glass  is  broken  out." 

One  after  another,  teachers  and  students 
crowded  into  the  room.  Phil  spied  the  battered 
bird  cage  resting  near  the  foot  of  the  bed,  and,  in 
secret,  passed  it  to  Dave,  who  handed  it  to  Sam. 
The  latter  was  close  to  the  window,  and  threw  the 
object  out  as  far  as  he  could.  In  the  meantime  the 
excitement  continued. 

"I  don't  see  anything." 

"Better  look  for  robbers !" 


56  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Maybe  somebody  is  in  the  closet." 

The  closet  was  searched,  but  nothing  out  of  the 
ordinary  was  discovered.  The  students  in  the 
secret  looked  for  bats,  but  every  one  of  the  crea- 
tures had  taken  its  departure  for  parts  unknown. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A   CHALLENGE   ACCEPTED 

"Mr.  Haskers,  I  would  like  to  have  you  ex- 
plain this  affair,"  said  Dr.  Clay,  after  the  excite- 
ment had  died  down. 

"Have  you — have  you  got  them?"  faltered  the 
assistant  teacher,  who  was  still  much  bewildered. 

"Got  what?" 

"Why, — er — the — the  things  that  were  in  my 
room." 

"I  can  find  nothing  in  your  room,  and  neither 
can  Mr.  Dale." 

"No — nothing?  absolutely  nothing,  sir?" 

"Not  a  thing  out  of  the  ordinary.  Did  you 
have  a  nightmare?"  And  the  worthy  master  of 
the  Hall  looked  sternly  at  his  assistant. 

"I — er — I  don't  think  I  did.  I  woke  up  sud- 
denly, sir,  and  something  flew  by  my  head.  Then 
something  hit  me  in  the  face  and  got  caught  in  my 
hair,  and  after  that  I — er — I  was  hit  half  a  dozen 
times." 

"Ahem !  This  is  certainly  extraordinary.  You 
are  sure  you  weren't  dreaming?" 

57 


58     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  don't  think  I  was,  sir." 

"Was  your  window  open  when  you  went  to 
bed?" 

"Yes,  from  the  top." 

"Perhaps  a  night  bird  flew  in." 

"There  must  have  been  half  a  dozen  of 
them." 

"Well,  whatever  it  was,  it  is  gone  now.  You 
had  better  go  back  to  bed.  You  can  push  the  chif- 
fonier against  the  broken-out  window  if  you  wish, 
to  keep  out  the  cold  air.  Boys,  I  want  you  all  to 
retire.  We'll  have  the  window  and  the  broken 
lock  mended  in  the  morning." 

The  doctor  turned  and  waved  the  students  away, 
and  one  after  another  they  departed  for  their 
dormitories.  Then  he  followed  Job  Haskers  into 
the  latter's  bedroom.  The  door  was  closed  and 
what  was  said  was  not  heard  by  the  others. 

"Well,  that  was  certainly  one  on  Job  Haskers," 
chuckled  Roger,  as  he  followed  Dave  to  bed. 

"And  I  doubt  if  he  ever  learns  what  was  the  real 
trouble,"  answered  Dave. 

"By  the  way,  I  didn't  see  Gus  Plum  and  Nat 
Poole,"  said  Phil.  "It  is  queer  they  didn't  come 
out  of  their  room." 

"Maybe  they  weren't  in  the  building!"  cried 
Sam.  "Mr.  Dale  was  watching  downstairs  for 
somebody." 

"I  am  not  going  to  bother  my  head  about  it," 


A  CHALLENGE  ACCEPTED  59 

announced  the  senator's  son,  as  he  began  to  get 
ready  to  jump  into  bed,  having  disrobed  in  part  be- 
fore playing  the  joke  on  the  teacher.  "The  walk 
made  me  tired." 

"I  am  tired,  too,  and  sleepy,"  said  Shadow. 

"Ditto  here,"  announced  Dave. 

All  of  the  students  had  gone  to  their  dormi- 
tories, and  once  more  quiet  settled  over  the  Hall. 
The  light  that  had  been  lit  was  extinguished,  and 
one  after  another  the  boys  hopped  into  bed  and 
tucked  the  covers  in  around  them. 

"Great  hambones!  What's  this!"  came,  an  in- 
stant later,  from  Phil,  and  he  began  to  wiggle  from 
head  to  foot. 

"Adam's  tombstone,  but  this  is  fierce !"  cried  the 
senator's  son  and  sat  bolt  upright. 

"I  should  say  it  was !"  declared  Dave,  as  he  also 
thrashed  around.  "I  can't  stand  this.  Who  put 
something  in  my  bed?" 

"I  didn't!"  declared  Buster. 

"Nor  I !"  declared  one  after  another  of  the  oc- 
cupants of  the  dormitory. 

Once  more  the  boys  got  up,  and  the  light  was 
again  lit.  It  was  soon  discovered  that  a  mass  of 
burdock  burs  had  been  placed  in  the  beds  of  Phil, 
Roger,  and  Dave.  None  of  the  other  beds  had 
been  touched. 

"This  is  an  itchy  joke  and  no  mistake,"  said 
Dave,  with  a  sickly  grin. 


60  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  began  Shadow. 
"At  a  school " 

"No  stones  just  now !"  cried  Dave.  "I  want  to 
know  who  did  this?" 

"I  saw  some  burdock  burs  yesterday,"  said 
Polly  Vane.  "Little  Sammy  Bilderman  had 
them." 

"Yes,  and  he  gave  them  to  Nat  Poole,"  declared 
Chip  Macklin.     "I  saw  him  do  it." 

"That  explains  it!"  cried  Dave. 

"Explains  what?"  asked  several  of  the  others. 

"Why  Poole  and  Plum  didn't  show  themselves 
while  the  racket  was  going  on  in  Haskers's  room. 
They  came  in  here  and  fixed  us  up." 

"It  must  be  so,"  said  Phil,  "for  I  know  my  bed 
was  all  right  before." 

Dave  leaped  noiselessly  to  the  door  and  threw  it 
open.  Nobody  was  outside,  but  he  heard  a  door 
at  a  distance  close  softly. 

"Somebody  was  out  there.  He  just  ran  off,"  he 
declared. 

"Come  on,"  said  Roger,  and  tiptoed  his  way 
into  the  semi-dark  hall,  followed  by  Dave  and  Phil. 
They  made  their  way  to  the  door  of  the  dormitory 
in  which  Poole  and  Plum  belonged.  They  heard 
a  rustle  and  the  faint  creaking  of  two  beds. 

"We've  found  them  all  right,"  whispered  the 
senator's  son.  "The  question  is,  what  shall  we  do 
in  return?" 


A  CHALLENGE  ACCEPTED  61 

"Wait,"  advised  Dave.  "We've  had  enough 
for  one  night.     Let  us  get  to  bed." 

The  others  were  willing,  and  so  they  returned  to 
their  own  room.  The  burs  were  cleared  away, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  more  all  of  the  lads  were  in 
the  land  of  dreams. 

In  the  morning,  on  entering  the  classroom,  the 
students  found  Job  Haskers  heavy-eyed  and  in  any- 
thing but  a  pleasant  humor.  He  called  one  class 
after  another  to  order  in  a  sharp,  jerky  voice,  and 
gave  the  pupils  demerit  marks  upon  the  slightest 
provocation.  As  a  result  Dave,  Phil,  and  eight 
other  students  suffered  in  their  general  average. 

"How  I  wish  Dr.  Clay  would  get  rid  of  him," 
sighed  Phil. 

"And  get  another  teacher  like  Mr.  Dale  to  take 
his  place,"  said  Dave.  All  the  boys  loved  Andrew 
Dale,  who  was  as  pleasant  as  he  was  capable. 

It  was  not  until  two  days  later  that  Roger  met 
Bob  Lapham.  The  farm  boy  said  his  father  had 
heard  nothing  more  of  the  burglars  and  the  stolen 
silverware,  and  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
little  could  be  done  in  the  matter. 

"It  is  too  bad,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "I  do 
hope  he  gets  his  stuff  back  some  day." 

Although  Dave  was  out  for  fun  and  sport,  it 
must  not  be  thought  that  he  neglected  his  studies. 
As  my  old  readers  know,  he  was  a  youth  who  put 
his  whole  heart  and  soul  into  whatever  he  was 


62  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

doing,  and  this  applied  to  his  lessons  as  well  as  to 
everything  else.  In  the  past  he  had  kept  close  to 
the  top  of  his  class,  and  he  was  resolved  to  retain 
that  position  or  do  still  better. 

"I  came  to  learn  something,"  he  said,  more  than 
once.  "I  am  not  going  to  neglect  my  lessons,  no 
matter  what  is  in  the  air." 

"But  you'll  join  our  football  team,  won't  you?" 
asked  the  senator's  son,  who  was  looked  upon  as 
the  leader  in  that  sport  by  nearly  all  the  old  foot- 
ball players. 

"I  will  if  you  want  me  to,  Roger.  But  you 
know  I  am  not  an  extra  good  player.  Baseball  is 
my  game,  not  football." 

"But  we  want  you  to  play  the  position  you  took 
last  year,  when  you  made  that  victorious  run." 

"Very  well.     What  of  the  other  fellows?" 

"Ben  will  be  quarter-back  as  before,  and  Phil  a 
half-back,  and  Sam  right  tackle.  I  haven't  made 
up  my  mind  about  the  others  yet,  although  I  think 
I'll  try  Shadow  for  center  and  Buster  for  guard." 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  team  Gus  Plum  has 
organized?" 

"Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  Dave,  I  think  some  of 
his  fellows  play  pretty  good  football,"  answered 
Roger,  in  a  low  voice,  so  that  no  outsider  might 
hear  him. 

"Just  what  I  think.  Henshaw  is  a  dandy  quar- 
terback, and  Babcock  makes  a  good,  heavy  tackle. 


A  CHALLENGE  ACCEPTED  63 

We  ought  to  have  them  on  our  team — if  we  are  to 
play  Rockville." 

"Well,  I  would  ask  them  to  join  us,  only  if  I  do 
that,  Plum  will  say  I  am  trying  to  steal  his  men 
from  him." 

The  next  morning  came  a  surprise.  Roger  re- 
ceived a  challenge  from  the  Arrows  to  play  a  game 
of  football  the  very  next  Saturday  afternoon.  Nat 
Poole  delivered  the  paper,  and  his  face  had  a  su- 
perior smile  on  it  as  he  did  so. 

"Why,  Poole,  we  are  not  in  trim  to  play  yet," 
said  Roger.     "We  need  more  practice." 

"Afraid  to  play  us,  eh?"  sneered  the  aristocratic 
youth.     "I  thought  so." 

"I  am  not  afraid.  Make  it  three  weeks  from 
now  and  I'll  accept." 

"No,  you  must  play  this  week  or  not  at  all.  If 
you  won't  play  we'll  challenge  the  Rockville 
fellows." 

With  this  declaration  Nat  Poole  hurried  away, 
leaving  the  senator's  son  much  worried.  As  Roger 
had  said,  his  team  needed  practice.  They  were  all 
good  players  individually,  but  team  work  is  what 
counts  in  a  modern  game  of  football.  He  went  to 
consult  his  friends. 

"We  can't  do  it,"  said  Sam,  shaking  his  head. 
"Why,  some  of  us  scarcely  know  the  new  rules  yet, 
much  less  our  signals." 

"We  need  at  least  two  weeks  of  good,  snappy 


64  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

practice,"  put  in  another  of  the  players.  "None 
of  us  are  hard  enough  yet." 

"This  is  a  plan  to  get  us  into  a  hole,"  declared 
Dave.  "If  we  back  out  Plum  will  challenge  the 
Rockville  boys  and  make  out  that  his  eleven  is  the 
representative  one  from  this  school.  It's  just  like 
one  of  his  dirty  tricks." 

The  boys  talked  the  matter  over  a  good  hour, 
and  finally  a  vote  was  taken. 

"I  say  play,"  declared  Dave.  "Let  us  practise 
all  we  possibly  can.  If  we  are  beaten  we  can  im- 
mediately send  a  challenge  for  another  game  on 
the  Saturday  following." 

So  it  was  at  last  decided,  although  Roger,  Phil, 
and  Sam  were  still  doubtful.  They  declared  it 
was  taking  a  big  risk  and  that  if  they  lost  they 
would  never  hear  the  end  of  it. 

In  the  meantime  Gus  Plum  was  laughing  in  his 
sleeve,  as  the  popular  saying  goes,  feeling  certain 
that  Roger's  eleven  would  not  accept  the  challenge, 
Three  of  the  players  who  had  formerly  played  on 
the  team  of  the  senator's  son  had  left  Oak  Hall, 
and  that  meant  the  substitution  of  green  hands 
from  whom  it  was  not  known  what  to  expect. 

"They'll  crawl  out  of  it,"  declared  Nat  Poole, 
as  he  and  the  bully  of  the  Hall  and  a  student  named 
Jasniff  talked  it  over.  Jasniff  was  a  newcomer  at 
Oak  Hall,  a  fellow  with  a  squint  in  one  eye  and  a 
manner  that  few  of  the  boys  cared  to  tolerate,  al- 


A  CHALLENGE  ACCEPTED  65 

though,  strange  to  say,  it  pleased  Plum  and  Poole. 
Jasniff  smoked,  and  played  pool  when  he  got  the 
chance,  and  so  did  they,  and,  in  addition,  the  new 
student  was  fond  of  drinking  and  horse  races, — a 
poor  sort  of  a  companion  for  any  youth  who 
wanted  to  make  a  man  of  himself. 

"You've  got  them  dead  to  rights,"  said  Nick 
Jasniff.     "They'll  crawl,  see  if  they  doTi't." 

"I'll  give  them  until  Thursday  to  accept,"  said 
Gus  Plum.  "If  they  don't,  I'll  send  a  challenge  to 
Rockville  on  Friday." 

"Will  Rockville  play  us  ?"  asked  Poole.  "They 
may  put  up  some  sort  of  a  kick." 

"I'll  let  them  know  how  matters  stand,"  an- 
swered the  bully  of  the  Hall,  with  a  suggestive 
wink.  "If  Morr's  crowd  won't  play  us,  then  we 
are  the  representative  team  of  the  Hall,  aren't 
we?" 

As  the  bully  ceased  speaking,  Dave  and  Roger 
walked  up  to  the  three  other  boys. 

"Here's  our  answer  to  that  challenge,  Plum," 
said  the  senator's  son,  and  held  out  a  paper. 

"I  presume  you  decline  to  play  us,"  sneered  the 
bully,  as  he  took  the  note. 

"On  the  contrary  we  take  pleasure  in  accepting 
the  challenge,"  said  Dave. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    RIVALS   OF    OAK    HALL 

For  the  moment  after  Dave  made  his  announce- 
ment there  was  a  dead  silence.  The  faces  of  Gus 
Plum  and  his  associates  showed  their  disappoint- 
ment. 

"Going  to  play  us,  eh?"  said  the  bully,  slowly. 

"You'll  be  beaten  out  of  your  boots,"  said  Nat 
Poole,  with  a  sneer. 

"That  remains  to  be  seen,"  answered  Roger. 
"We  accept  the  challenge  and  we  are  here  to  ar- 
range all  the  details  of  the  game." 

A  talk  lasting  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  fol- 
lowed, in  which  they  went  over  such  details  as 
seemed  necessary.  Plainly  Plum  was  ill  at  ease. 
He  wanted  to  chose  an  umpire,  referee,  and  lines- 
men from  outside  of  Oak  Hall,  but  the  senator's 
son  would  not  consent  to  this. 

"I  am  satisfied  to  have  Mr.  Dale  for  umpire," 
he  said.  "And  three  of  our  head  students  can  act 
as  referee  and  linesmen."  And  so  at  last  it  was 
decided,  but  not  without  a  great  deal  of  grumbling. 

"You  won't  win  this  time,   Porter,"  remarked 

66 


THE  RIVALS  OF  OAK  HALL  67 

Nick  Jasniff,  as  Dave  and  Roger  were  leaving. 
"After  this  game  you'll  never  be  heard  of  again  in 
this  school." 

"  'He  laughs  best  who  laughs  last,'  "  quoted 
Dave,  and  walked  away,  arm  in  arm  with  Roger. 
Jasniff  stared  after  him  and  so  did  Plum  and 
Poole. 

"They  really  mean  to  play  after  all,"  muttered 
Poole.     "I  was  dead  sure  they'd  decline." 

"You  never  can  tell  what  Porter  will  do," 
growled  Gus  Plum.  "I'll  wager  he  got  Morr  to 
accept." 

"Well,  we've  got  to  wax  'em  good  and 
hard,"  remarked  Nick  Jasniff.  "And  we  ought 
to  be  able  to  do  that  easily  enough — with  Hen- 
shaw  and  Babcock  on  our  side.  Those  two 
fellows  play  as  if  they  belonged  to  some  college 
eleven." 

"Yes,  I  hope  great  things  from  Henshaw  and 
Babcock,"  answered  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall. 

When  Roger  and  Dave  returned  to  the  members 
of  their  own  eleven  they  were  asked  how  Plum  and 
his  crowd  had  taken  the  acceptance  of  the  chal- 
lenge. Then  the  coming  game  was  discussed  from 
every  possible  point  of  view. 

"Do  you  know,  I'd  almost  rather  beat  Plum 
than  some  outside  team,"  remarked  Phil.  "He 
deserves  to  be  taken  down." 

"I  don't  like  Nick  Jasniff  at  all,"  said  Dave, 


68     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

slowly.  "In  one  way  I  think  he  is  a  worse  fellow 
than  either  Plum  or  Poole." 

"He  has  a  bad  eye,"  said  Sam.  "It's  an  eye  I 
don't  trust." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  added 
Shadow.  "Now  don't  stop  me,  for  this  is  brand- 
new " 

"Warranted?"  queried  Dave. 

"Yes,  warranted.  Two  Irishmen  and  a  Dutch- 
man got  into  an  argument  and  when  they  separated 
all  three  were  in  bad  humor.  The  next  day  one  of 
the  Irishmen  met  the  other  Irishman.  'Gure,  Pat,' 
says  he.  T  don't  loike  that  Dootchmon  at  all,  at 
all.'  'Nayther  do  I,'  answered  the  other  Irish- 
man. 'He  has  a  bad  eye,  so  he  has,'  went  on  the 
first  Irishman.  'That's  roight,  he  has — an'  I  gave 
him  that  same  this  very  marnin' !'  says  the  other 
Irishman." 

"Three  cheers  for  the  new  joke!"  cried  Roger, 
and  a  general  laugh  arose. 

"Well,  I  suppose  all  we  can  do  is  to  start  practice 
and  keep  it  up  until  the  day  for  the  match  comes," 
said  Dave,  after  the  laughter  had  subsided. 

"That's  it,"  answered  the  senator's  son.  "We'll 
do  what  we  can  this  very  afternoon." 

The  boys  went  to  their  classroom  with  their 
heads  full  of  the  coming  football  contest.  Roger 
had  already  made  up  his  eleven,  largely  from  the 
material  of  the  season  previous.     But  the  boys 


THE  RIVALS  OF  OAK  HALL  69 

who  had  gone  from  Oak  Hall  left  weak  spots  in 
the  line  which  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  fill. 

Then  came  another  set-back,  which  made  Dave 
and  the  others  gloomy  enough,  and  caused  Gus 
Plum  and  his  associates  to  smile  grimly  to  them- 
selves. Instead  of  remaining  clear,  a  cold,  dismal 
rain  set  in  that  very  afternoon  and  kept  up  for  two 
days.  To  practise  on  the  football  field  was  out  of 
the  question,  and  all  Roger's  eleven  could  do  was 
to  exercise  in  the  gymnasium.  Here  there  was 
always  some  one  of  Plum's  crowd  to  look  on  and 
see  whatever  was  being  tried  in  the  way  of  a  trick 
or  a  new  movement. 

"I  hope  it  rains  Saturday,  too,"  grumbled  Phil. 
"We  won't  be  able  to  make  any  kind  of  a  showing 
at  this  rate." 

"It  will  be  just  our  luck  to  have  good  weather 
Saturday,"  sighed  Shadow. 

Even  Dave  was  disheartened,  but  he  did  not 
show  it.  Instead  he  did  all  the  practising  he  could 
in  the  gymnasium  and  helped  Roger  whip  the 
eleven  into  shape.  As  he  had  said,  he  did  not  care 
for  football  as  much  as  baseball,  but  he  was  re- 
solved to  do  his  best. 

On  Saturday  morning  all  the  boys  were  up  early, 
to  see  what  sort  of  weather  they  were  going  to 
have.  The  sun  was  under  a  cloud,  but  by  nine 
o'clock  it  cleared  up  and  a  fine,  warm  wind  from 
the  south  sprang  up. 


70  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"That  settles  it,  we  have  got  to  play,"  said  Bus- 
ter Beggs. 

"Let  us  go  out  and  practise  as  soon  as  we  can," 
said  the  senator's  son,  and  called  the  eleven  with- 
out delay. 

Of  course  the  match  had  been  talked  over 
throughout  the  school  and  even  outside.  As  a 
consequence,  when  the  time  came  to  play,  a  goodly 
crowd  had  assembled  on  the  football  field.  There 
was  cheering  for  both  sides  and  the  waving  of  a 
good  many  Oak  Hall  banners.  In  the  small  stand 
that  had  been  put  up  sat  Dr.  Clay  and  about  twenty 
visitors. 

"I  don't  see  anything  of  Henshaw  and  Bab- 
cock,"  said  Dave,  looking  over  the  field.  "They 
must  be  going  to  play." 

"There  they  are,  over  in  the  corner,  talking  to 
Plum  and  Poole,"  answered  Roger,  pointing  with 
his  hand. 

"They  must  be  planning  some  new  move," 
said  Phil.  "We'll  have  to  watch  out  for 
them." 

Presently  Babcock,  a  fine,  sturdy  player,  came 
forward,  followed  by  Henshaw.  Both  were 
frowning,  and  when  Babcock  said  something  to  his 
companion  Henshaw  nodded  vigorously.  Plum 
and  Poole  came  behind,  and  neither  appeared 
particularly  happy. 

The  game  was  to  be  played  under  the  rules  of 


THE  RIVALS  OF  OAK  HALL  71 

that  year,  with  two  halves  of  thirty  minutes  each. 
When  it  came  to  the  practice  Roger's  team  did 
what  it  could.  The  players  were  full  of  energy, 
but  the  team  work  was  not  at  all  what  it  might 
have  been. 

"Want  to  tune  up!"  sang  out  one  looker-on,  to 
Roger.     "Get  together!" 

"We  are  trying  to,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

Plum's  eleven  did  much  better  in  practice,  work- 
ing in  perfect  harmony.  Only  Poole  made 
fumbles,  for  which  the  bully  of  the  Hall  upbraided 
him  roundly. 

"Oh,  don't  howl  at  me,"  growled  Poole.  "I 
am  doing  as  well  as  you  are." 

At  length  the  game  was  called  and  the  two 
elevens  lined  up.  They  were  pretty  well  matched, 
although  Henshaw  and  Babcock  stood  out  above 
the  others. 

"Wish  that  pair  were  on  our  side,"  sighed 
Roger.  "Each  of  them  has  weight,  wind,  and 
cleverness — just  the  things  a  good  football  player 
ought  to  possess." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more.  The  toss-up 
gave  Plum's  eleven  the  ball  and  a  few  minutes  later 
it  was  put  into  play  and  sent  twenty  yards  into  our 
friends'  territory.  Then  came  a  scrimmage  and 
the  leather  went  back  and  forth  rapidly.  The 
play  was  ragged,  for  neither  side  had  as  yet  settled 
down  to  hard  work.     There  was  no  brilliant  play, 


72  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

and  when  the  ball  was  carried  over  the  line  by  Hen- 
shaw  the  applause  was  rather  tame. 

"An  easy  touchdown  !" 

"Now  make  it  a  goal." 

This  was  not  so  easy,  for  the  wind  had  fresh- 
ened. The  ball  sailed  outside  of  the  posts,  so  that 
the  Arrows  received  but  five  points. 

Again  the  ball  was  put  into  play  and  now  the 
work  on  both  sides  became  more  earnest.  Several 
of  Gus  Plum's  players  became  rough  and  Plum 
himself  tried  to  "spike"  Dave  with  his  shoe. 
Dave  gave  the  bully  a  shove  that  sent  him  head- 
long. 

"A  foul!     Time!"  was  the  cry. 

"He  tried  to  spike  me!"  cried  Dave,  hotly. 

"I  didn't!"  roared  the  bully. 

"He  did — I  saw  it!"  put  in  Roger. 

"Have  you  spikes  in  your  shoes?"  demanded  the 
umpire. 

"No,"  muttered  Gus  Plum,  but  his  face  grew 
red. 

The  umpire  made  him  show  the  bottoms  of  his 
shoes.  Each  had  a  small  spike  in  it — something 
quite  contrary  to  the  rules,  as  all  football  players 
know. 

"Change  your  shoes  at  once,  or  get  out  of  the 
game,"  was  the  decision  rendered,  and  Gus  Plum 
ran  off  the  field  with  a  redder  face  than  ever. 

The  first  half  of  the  game  closed  with  the  score 


THE  RIVALS  OF  OAK  HALL  73 

12  to  o  in  favor  of  Gus  Plum's  eleven.  A  safety 
for  Roger's  team  had  been  made  by  Dave,  who  saw 
it  was  the  only  thing  to  do  when  crowded  by  Bab- 
cock,  Henshaw,  and  two  others.  The  second 
touchdown  made  by  the  Arrows  came  through 
Babcock  aided  by  several  others. 

"We  could  whip  them  if  it  wasn't  for  Babcock 
and  Henshaw,"  said  Luke  Watson.  "Those  two 
chaps  are  dandy  players  and  no  mistake." 

During  the  intermission  it  was  seen  that  Gus 
Plum  was  having  another  lively  interview  with 
Babcock  and  Henshaw.  But  the  two  expert 
players  would  not  listen  to  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall. 

"Something  is  wrong  in  their  camp,  that's  cer- 
tain," was  Phil's  comment. 

"Look  here,  if  you  say  anything,  I'll  put  you  off 
the  team!"  cried  Gus  Plum,  to  Babcock  and  Hen- 
shaw, so  loudly  that  many  standing  around  could 
hear  him. 

"All  right,  put  me  off  if  you  wish,"  answered 
Babcock  sharply. 

"I'll  never  play  with  you  again  anyway!"  added 
Henshaw.  "I've  done  my  best  to-day,  but  this 
ends  it,  if  I  never  play  again  as  long  as  I  stay  at 
Oak  Hall." 

"You're  out  of  it,  both  of  you!"  roared  Gus 
Plum,  in  a  sudden  rage.  "Dawson,  take  Hen- 
shaw's  place,  and  Potter,  you  take  Babcock's  place. 
I'll  show  you  that  I  can  run  a  team  to  suit  myself." 


74  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Very  well,"  said  Babcock,  and  turning  on  his 
heel  he  left  the  field.  Henshaw,  without  saying  a 
word,  followed  his  friend. 

All  who  witnessed  the  scene  were  curious  to 
know  what  it  meant,  but  none  of  the  other  Arrow 
players  would  explain.  Soon  it  was  time  for  the 
second  half  of  the  game.  Two  of  Roger's  players 
had  been  slightly  hurt,  and  their  places  were  filled 
by  two  substitutes,  which  weakened  the  eleven  still 
more. 

"Henshaw  and  Babcock  are  out  of  it!"  cried 
Phil,  to  Roger  and  Dave. 

"That  gives  us  a  better  chance  to  win,"  said  the 
senator's  son. 

"If  it  isn't  too  late,"  returned  Sam  Day;  "12 
to  o  is  a  pretty  hard  lead  to  overcome." 

"We'll  do  our  best,"  said  Dave.  "Let  every 
man  go  in  for  all  he  is  worth !" 

The  play  was  fast  and  furious  from  the  very 
start,  and  inside  of  two  minutes  Roger's  players 
had  the  leather  close  to  the  Arrows'  goal  line. 
But  then  Nick  Jasniff  with  extreme  roughness 
hurled  Sam  Day  to  the  ground.  Jasniff  was  off- 
side at  the  time  and  his  movements  were  conse- 
quently contrary  to  the  rules. 

"You  may  retire  from  the  field,"  said  the 
referee,  after  he  and  the  umpire  had  talked  the 
matter  over. 

Poor  Sam  was  in  bad  shape  when  picked  up  and 


THE  RIVALS  OF  OAK  HALL  75 

carried  from  the  field,  but  fortunately  he  recovered 
inside  of  an  hour.  In  the  meantime  another  player 
was  put  in  his  place  and  another  in  the  place  of 
Jasniff  and  the  game  went  on. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    END   OF   THE    GAME 

"A  touchdown  for  the  Morr  team !" 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it !" 

"Now  make  it  a  goal!" 

The  leather  had  been  carried  over  the  line  after 
hard  work.  Without  delay  it  was  placed  in  posi- 
tion for  the  kick  and  went  sailing  directly  between 
the  two  posts. 

"That's  the  talk!" 

"Now  go  and  make  another!" 

There  were  still  eighteen  minutes  in  which  to 
play.  The  goal  made  Roger,  Dave,  and  the  others 
enthusiastic,  and  they  "sailed  in"  as  never  before. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  loss  of  Babcock,  Henshaw, 
and  Jasniiif  cast  a  gloom  over  Gus  Plum's  eleven 
and  the  bully  could  do  little  to  rally  them. 

"It  was  a  mistake  to  fire  Babcock  and  Hen- 
shaw," said  one  of  the  tackles.  "They  were  our 
best  players." 

"That's  right,"  added  the  center  rush. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  they  can  play  better  than 
I  and  Nat?"  demanded  Gus  Plum. 

76 


THE  END  OF  THE  GAME  77 

"They  can  play  just  as  well,"  grumbled  the 
tackle. 

"Rot!     Come  on  ahead  and  wax  'em!" 

But  the  call  to  "wax"  Roger's  team  was  of  small 
avail.  With  Babcock  and  Henshaw  gone  the 
Arrows  could  do  little  or  nothing,  and  soon  Dave 
kicked  a  goal  from  the  field.  Then  came  another 
touchdown,  another  goal  from  the  field,  and  two 
more  touchdowns.  Each  of  the  touchdowns  re- 
sulted in  goal  kicks.  The  Arrows  were  in  despair 
and  could  do  absolutely  nothing. 

"Pile  it  on!"  cried  Roger,  enthusiastically. 
"Pile  it  on,  boys!"  And  they  did  pile  it  on,  until 
the  whistle  blew  and  the  game  was  over. 

Final  score — Plum's  eleven  12,  Roger  Morr's 
eleven  45  ! 

It  was  a  terrible  defeat  for  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall 
and  he  could  scarcely  wait  for  the  game  to  come  to 
an  end.  He  fairly  ran  for  the  gymnasium  when 
it  was  over  and  did  his  best  to  keep  out  of  sight 
for  the  rest  of  the  day  and  all  day  Sunday,  and  Nat 
Poole  went  with  him. 

The  cheering  for  Roger  and  his  eleven  was 
great,  and  all  the  players  came  in  for  their  full 
share  of  glory.  Dave  had  done  some  remarkably 
clever  work,  for  which  his  friends  shook  his  hand 
and  congratulated  him. 

"Well,  you  gave  Gus  Plum's  crowd  all  that  was 
coming  to  them,"  said  one  of  the  students  to  Dave. 


78  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  don't  think  he'll  ever  organize  another  football 
eleven  in  this  academy." 

What  this  student  said  was  practically  true. 
During  the  following  week  the  Arrows  held 
several  stormy  sessions  and  the  upshot  was  that  the 
eleven  disbanded.  Nearly  all  the  players  were 
angry  because  Gus  Plum  had  put  Henshaw  and 
Babcock  out  of  the  game,  for  to  this  they  attributed 
their  defeat.  It  leaked  out  that  Plum  had  wanted 
the  two  players  to  play  some  rough  trick  on  Roger's 
eleven,  and  both  Babcock  and  Henshaw  had  de- 
clined, stating  that  it  was  against  the  rules  and  un- 
sportsmanlike. This  had  angered  the  bully,  and 
hence  the  quarrel  and  separation. 

"I  want  to  play  fairly  and  squarely  or  not  at 
all,"  said  Babcock,  and  Henshaw  said  practically 
the  same  thing.  Gus  Plum  denied  the  report,  but 
nobody  believed  him. 

During  the  following  week  Dave  was  taking  a 
walk  along  the  river  bank  when  he  heard  loud  talk- 
ing close  at  hand.  Looking  through  the  bushes  he 
saw  Sam  Day  and  Nick  Jasniff. 

"You  had  no  business  to  jump  on  me  as  you  did 
at  the  game,"  Sam  was  saying.  "It  was  outra- 
geous." 

"Oh,  stop  your  yowling,"  grumbled  Jasniff. 
"It  wasn't  done  on  purpose." 

"It  was  done  on  purpose,  Nick  Jasniff,  and  I 
think  you  were  a  brute  to  do  it." 


THE  END  OF  THE  GAME  79 

Sam  had  scarcely  uttered  the  latter  words  when 
Nick  Jasniff,  who  carried  a  heavy  stick  in  his  hand, 
leaped  forward  and  struck  out.  The  stick  landed 
on  Sam's  head  and  he  went  down  in  a  heap. 

"Don't!"  he  groaned.     "Don't  hit  me  again!" 

"Won't  I,  though !"  cried  Nick  Jasniff,  in  a  pas- 
sion. "I'd  like  to  know  what's  to  hinder  me?" 
And  he  raised  the  stick  again. 

"Stop,  Jasniff !"  came  from  Dave,  and  leaping 
through  the  bushes  he  came  up  behind  the  student 
and  caught  the  stick  in  his  hand.  "What  do  you 
mean  by  attacking  Sam  in  this  fashion?" 

"Let  go  of  that  stick!"  ejaculated  Jasniff,  and 
tried  to  pull  it  away.  Then  a  tussle  ensued  which 
came  to  an  end  as  Dave  twisted  the  stick  from 
the  other  youth's  grasp  and  flung  it  into  the 
river. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  throwing  my  cane 
away?"  cried  Jasniff. 

"I  want  you  to  leave  Sam  alone." 

"I've  a  good  mind  to  give  you  a  drubbing." 

"Better  not  try  it,  Jasniff,"  answered  Dave,  as 
calmly  as  he  could.  He  stood  on  guard  against 
any  treachery. 

"Think  you're  the  king  of  the  school,  don't 
you?" 

"No,  but  I  am  always  ready  to  stand  up  for  a 
friend." 

By  this  time  Sam  was  staggering  to  his  feet.    He 


80  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

rushed  at  Nick  Jasniff  and  sent  him  backward  into 
the  bushes. 

"You  will  hit  me  with  your  stick!"  he  exclaimed. 
"Thank  you,  Dave,  for  what  you  did,  but  I  can 
take  my  own  part."  And  he  stood  over  Jasniff 
with  clenched  fists. 

"Two  to  one,  eh?"  sneered  Jasniff,  as  he  got  up 
slowly.     "That's  fighting  fair,  ain't  it?" 

"It  is  fairer  than  hitting  a  fellow  with  a  stick," 
retorted  Sam.  "But  I  can  fight  you  alone,  if  you 
want  to  fight." 

"I'll  not  soil  my  hands  on  you  further,"  grum- 
bled Nick  Jasniff,  and  backing  away,  he  walked  off 
towards  the  school  at  a  rapid  pace. 

"The  coward!"  murmured  Sam,  as  he  and  Dave 
watched  the  departure. 

"Do  you  know,  Sam,  I  don't  like  that  fellow  at 
all,"  said  Dave.  "I've  said  so  before.  He's  a 
bad  egg  if  ever  there  was  one." 

"I  believe  you.  Cadfield  told  me  that  there  was 
a  report  in  the  town  Jasniff  came  from  that  he  had 
once  set  fire  to  a  farmer's  barn  because  the  farmer 
caught  him  stealing  peaches,  but  the  whole  matter 
was  hushed  up." 

"He  doesn't  appear  to  be  any  too  good  to  set  fire 
to  a  barn.  We'll  have  to  keep  our  eyes  open  for 
him  after  this." 

"I  certainly  shall.  I  don't  want  to  be  struck 
down  with  a  stick  again,"  answered  Sam. 


THE  END  OF  THE  GAME  81 

With  the  brisk  autumn  winds  blowing,  kite-fly- 
ing was  in  favor  with  many  of  the  students  of  Oak 
Hall  and  numerous  were  the  big  and  little  kites 
that  were  sent  up.  Some  were  curiously  painted, 
some  were  of  the  box  variety,  while  others  were  in 
the  shape  of  eagles  and  other  big  birds.  Most 
of  the  kites  were  raised  from  a  meadow  near  the 
river,  and  every  afternoon  a  crowd  of  students 
would  go  down  to  watch  the  sport. 

Roger  made  for  himself  an  immense  eagle  kite, 
while  Phil  tried  his  hand  at  a  plain  affair,  shaped 
like  a  diamond  and  eight  feet  high  and  five  feet 
across. 

"That  ought  to  be  strong  enough  to  pull  a 
wagon,"  was  Dave's  comment,  as  he  surveyed 
Phil's  creationo  "You'll  have  to  get  a  pretty 
strong  cord  to  hold  it,  otherwise  it  may  drag  you 
into  the  river — if  the  wind  happens  to  be  blowing 
that  way." 

One  afternoon  a  number  of  the  boys  brought  out 
their  flat  kites  and  started  to  see  who  could  make 
his  fly  the  highest.  Among  the  crowd  was  Nat 
Poole,  who  had  a  gorgeous  affair  painted  yellow 
and  red. 

"Wait  till  you  see  this  soar  upward,"  he  said, 
boastfully.  "I'll  bet  it  will  go  up  a  hundred  feet 
higher  than  any  other." 

Half  a  dozen  kites  were  already  in  the  air  and 
soon  more  were  raised.     Then  Poole  ran  his  new 


82  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

kite  up.  It  arose  a  distance  of  a  hundred  feet  and 
then  began  to  dart  from  side  to  side. 

"You  want  more  tail,  Nat!"  cried  a  friend. 

"That  kite  isn't  balanced  right,"  said  Ben. 

"Oh,  it's  all  right,  only  it  isn't  high  enough,"  an- 
swered Nat  Poole.  He  was  not  one  to  take  ad- 
vice, and  so  he  did  his  best  to  get  the  kite  to  ascend 
without  altering  it. 

Among  those  in  the  meadow  at  the  time  was  Job 
Haskers.  He  was  going  on  a  visit  to  some  ladies 
who  lived  not  far  from  the  Hall  and  was  taking  a 
short  cut  instead  of  journeying  around  by  the 
regular  road.  He  did  not  care  for  sports  of  any 
kind  and  so  paid  small  attention  to  what  was  tak- 
ing place.  He  was  arrayed  in  his  best,  and  on  his 
head  rested  a  new  high  hat,  the  silk  nap  polished 
to  the  best  degree. 

Dave  was  aiding  Phil  to  manage  his  big  kite  and 
so  did  not  notice  the  assistant  teacher  until  Job 
Haskers  passed  close  by. 

"My!  but  he  is  dressed  up!"  Dave  remarked  to 
his  chum. 

"Must  be  going  to  see  his  best  lady  friend,"  was 
Phil's  comment.  "Oh,  look  at  Nat  Poole's  kite !" 
he  added,  suddenly. 

Dave  looked  and  saw  the  kite  in  question  far  up 
in  the  sky  and  swooping  wildly  from  side  to  side. 
Then  the  kite  made  a  downward  plunge,  skimming 
over  the  meadow  like  a  wild  bird. 


Down  came  Poole's  kite  on  the  teacher's  head.  —  Page  83. 


THE  END  OF  THE  GAME  83 

"Look  out,  or  somebody  will  get  hit !"  cried 
Dave,  and  fell  down  as  the  kite  passed  within  a 
foot  of  his  head.  Then  the  kite  went  up  again, 
only  to  take  another  plunge. 

As  this  was  occurring,  Job  Haskers  was  starting 
to  leap  over  a  small  brook  that  flowed  across  the 
meadow  into  the  river.  Another  wild  plunge,  and 
down  came  Poole's  kite  on  the  teacher's  head, 
smashing  the  silk  hat  flat  and  sending  Job  Haskers 
face  first  into  the  stream  of  muddy  water ! 

The  score  of  boys  who  witnessed  the  mishap 
could  not  help  but  laugh,  and  a  roar  went  up.  The 
teacher  floundered  around  wildly  and  it  was  several 
seconds  before  he  could  pull  himself  from  the 
brook.  His  face  and  the  front  of  his  clothing 
were  covered  with  mud,  and  he  was  more  angry 
than  words  can  describe. 

"You — you Who  did  that?"  he  splut- 
tered, after  ejecting  some  of  the  dirty  water  from 
his  mouth.  "I  demand  to  know  who  did  it!" 
And  he  shook  his  fist  at  the  students. 

"The  kite  did  it,"  answered  one  boy,  who  stood 
behind  some  others. 

"Whose  kite  was  it?" 

At  this  there  was  a  silence,  no  one  caring  to  tell 
upon  Nat  Poole,  who  stood  with  the  kite  string 
still  in  his  hand  and  his  mouth  wide  open  in  amaze- 
ment and  terror. 

"I  say,  whose  kite  was  it?"  bawled  the  irate 


84  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

teacher,  and  then,  as  he  rubbed  the  water  from  his 
eyes,  he  caught  sight  of  the  kite  and  the  string. 
"Ha !  so  it  was  yours,  Master  Poole !" 

"I — er — I  didn't  mean  to  do  it,"  stammered 
Nat  Poole.  "The — the  kite  came  down  all  of  a 
sudden." 

"Infamous!  Look  at  me!  Look  at  my  hat !" 
Job  Haskers  caught  up  the  battered  tile.  "This  is 
an  outrage!" 

"Really,  I  didn't  mean  to  do  it,  Mr.  Haskers," 
pleaded  Poole.  He  was  fairly  shaking  in  his 
shoes.     "The — the  kite  got  the  best  of  me!" 

"A  likely  story!  You  boys  are  forever  trying 
to  play  your  tricks  on  me !  I  know  you !  You'll 
pay  for  this  silk  hat!" 

"Yes,  sir,  I'll  do  that,"  answered  Nat,  eagerly. 

"And  you'll  pay  for  having  this  suit  of  clothes 
cleaned." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  you'll  pay  all  other  damages,  too." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  you'll  go  to  your  classroom  and  stay  there 
until  supper  time,"  went  on  Job  Haskers,  in  high 
anger.  "Stay  there  every  day  this  week,  too.  Do 
you  hear?" 

"Yes,  sir,  but " 

"I  will  not  listen  to  a  word,  young  man.  Go, — 
go  at  once !  If  I  had  my  way  I'd  dismiss  you  from 
the  school!"  roared  the  assistant  teacher. 


THE  END  OF  THE  GAME  85 

And  then  and  there  he  made  Nat  Poole  take  up 
his  kite  and  march  off  to  the  academy,  there  to  stay 
in  after  school  every  day  for  a  full  week.  More 
than  this,  he  brought  in  a  bill  for  fifteen  dollars' 
worth  of  damage,  to  the  silk  hat  and  the  suit  of 
clothing,  and  this  bill  Aaron  Poole  had  to  pay,  even 
though  the  miserly  money-lender  did  his  best  to 
evade  it. 


CHAPTER  X 

ALL    ON   ACCOUNT   OF   A    KITE 

"That's  the  time  Poole  caught  it,"  remarked 
Phil,  after  the  excitement  had  come  to  an  end. 

"That's  right,"  answered  Dave.  "I  am  glad  it 
was  not  your  kite,  Phil." 

"So  am  I." 

"In  one  way,  it  was  Nat's  own  fault,"  said 
Roger,  who  was  near.  "Half  a  dozen  told  him  to 
balance  the  kite  better,  but  he  wouldn't  listen." 

Down  on  the  river  some  of  the  students  had 
attached  their  kites  to  boats  and  were  having  races. 
But  soon  the  wind  changed  and  the  kites  veered 
around  to  another  point  of  the  compass  and  the 
races  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Phil's  kite  was  well  up  and  it  was  all  he  and 
Dave  could  do  to  manage  it.  Roger  and  Ben  grew 
somewhat  tired  of  the  sport  presently  and  brought 
down  their  kite  and  wound  up  the  string.  Then 
Phil  and  Dave  began  to  lower  the  big  kite. 

"The  wind  is  freshening,"  observed  Dave. 
"Gracious!  how  this  big  kite  does  tug!" 

He  could  scarcely  hold  it  as  Phil  wound  up  the 
cord.     Then  came  another  blast  of  air  and  Dave 

86 


ALL  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  A  KITE  $7 

fell  backward  with  the  broken  string  in  his  hand, 
while  the  big  kite  went  soaring  away  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Oakdale. 

"There  goes  the  kite !" 

"Stop  it!  stop  it!"  yelled  Phil,  forgetting  him- 
self in  his  excitement. 

"How?"  asked  Dave,  dryly,  as  he  arose  from 
the  grass. 

"I  don't  want  to  lose  that  fine  kite,"  went  on 
Phil,  soberly.  "Why,  it  cost  me  over  three  dollars 
to  make  it.    It  was  part  silk  I" 

"Let  us  go  after  it,"  said  Dave.  "I  don't  think 
it  will  sail  so  very  far." 

Roger's  kite  was  placed  in  the  care  of  Buster 
Beggs  and  Shadow  Hamilton,  and  off  went  the 
senator's  son,  Dave,  and  Phil  after  the  runaway 
kite.  The  course  was  almost  straight  for  Oakdale 
and  presently  they  saw  the  silken  affair  settle  in  the 
direction  of  Mike  Marcy's  orchard. 

"It  is  going  down  at  Marcy's!"  cried  Roger. 

"I  hope  it  doesn't  get  torn  in  the  trees,"  returned 
Phil,  who  was  doubly  proud  of  the  kite  because  he 
had  made  it  alone  and  by  his  own  plan. 

"Maybe  Marcy  won't  give  it  to  us,"  said  Dave. 
"Remember,  he  doesn't  like  us  students." 

"Yes,  and  remember,  too,  that  he  keeps  dogs," 
added  Roger. 

Mike  Marcy  was  an  Irish-American  farmer  who 
had  lived  in  that  section  for  many  years.     He  was 


88    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

what  is  termed  a  "close-fisted  man,"  and  one  who 
had  but  little  to  do  with  the  outside  world.  He 
was  supposed  to  be  rich,  although  he  usually  put  on 
an  air  of  poverty  whenever  anybody  called  upon 
him.  His  farm  was  of  fair  size,  and  contained  a 
good  stone  house,  a  barn,  and  several  other  out- 
buildings. He  had  a  big  orchard,  and  to  keep  off 
thieves  kept  half  a  dozen  dogs,  all  of  them  more  or 
less  savage  creatures. 

The  three  students  approached  the  orchard  from 
the  rear  and  after  looking  around  located  the  silken 
kite  in  the  limbs  of  an  apple  tree.  The  tree  was 
bare  of  fruit,  but  close  at  hand  were  other  trees 
loaded  with  golden  russets. 

"Wonder  if  we  can  get  that  kite  without  being 
seen,"  mused  Phil,  as  he  gazed  longingly  at  his 
property,  dangling  downward  by  its  gorgeous  tail 
of  fancy  ribbons. 

"I  don't  see  anybody  around,"  answered  Dave. 
"And  I  don't  hear  any  of  his  dogs  either." 

"You  want  to  go  slow,"  cautioned  the  senator's 
son.    "He  may  be  around,  watching  us  on  the  sly." 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  go  around  to  the  road 
and  ask  for  the  kite,"  said  Dave. 

"No,  he  won't  give  it  to  us,"  answered  Phil. 
"He  is  too  mean — I  know  him.  I'd  rather  try  to 
get  it  on  the  sly." 

The  wind  was  still  blowing  and  it  was  growing 
dark.    They  took  another  careful  look  around  and 


ALL  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  A  KITE  89 

then  leaped  the  fence  of  the  orchard.  Soon  they 
were  at  the  tree  from  which  the  kite  dangled,  and 
Phil  climbed  up. 

"Catch  it!"  he  called,  as  he  loosened  the  tail,  but 
just  then  the  wind  caught  the  kite  and  carried  it  to 
the  other  side  of  the  orchard. 

"There  it  goes!"  cried  Dave,  and  made  a  run 
after  the  object.  The  others  followed,  and 
presently  they  had  the  kite  in  their  possession.  In 
running  through  the  orchard  Dave  caught  his  foot 
on  a  tree  root  and  fell  headlong  but  did  not  hurt 
himself. 

With  the  kite  in  their  possession  the  three 
students  left  the  orchard  as  quickly  as  they  had 
entered  it.  It  was  now  so  late  that  they  were 
afraid  they  could  not  get  back  to  Oak  Hall  in  time 
for  supper  and  so  set  off  at  a  brisk  pace.  But  sud- 
denly Dave  came  to  a  stop. 

"I  declare,  my  watch  is  gone!"  he  cried. 

"Your  watch!"  asked  his  chums,  in  concert. 

"Yes,  I  must  have  dropped  it  when  I  stumbled 
in  the  orchard." 

"Oh,  Dave,  that's  too  bad!"  cried  Roger. 

"I'll  have  to  go  back  for  it,"  went  on  Dave. 
"It's  the  new  watch  my  uncle  gave  me." 

"Shall  we  go  back  with  you?"  asked  Phil. 

"No,  there  is  no  use  of  all  three  of  us  being  late. 
You  can  tell  Mr.  Dale  I  lost  my  watch  and  stopped 
to  hunt  for  it." 


90  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

In  another  moment  Dave  had  turned  back  and 
Phil  and  the  senator's  son  continued  on  their  way 
to  Oak  Hall.  Dave  started  on  a  run,  and  it  did 
not  take  him  long  to  reach  the  orchard  once  more. 
Down  under  the  trees  it  was  very  dark  and  he  had 
to  feel  around  for  the  watch.  But  he  had  dropped 
it  just  where  he  thought,  and  soon  had  it  in  his 
possession  again. 

"Now  I  had  better  hump  myself  and  get  back," 
he  murmured,  and  started  for  the  fence  once  more. 
Scarcely  had  he  gone  four  steps  when  a  form 
loomed  up  before  him  and  he  found  himself  in  the 
strong  clutch  of  Mike  Marcy. 

"Caught  ye,  have  I?"  said  the  farmer,  in  a  cold, 
hard  voice. 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Marcy,"  replied  Dave,  as 
coolly  as  he  could. 

"How  do  ye  do,  is  it?"  roared  the  farmer.  "I'll 
fix  ye,  ye  villain !"  And  he  started  to  shake  Dave 
with  great  violence.  He  was  a  strong  man  and 
one  given  to  sudden  passion. 

"Stop!"  cried  the  youth,  trying  to  squirm  away. 
"Stop!  What  are  you  doing  this  for?  I  have 
done  nothing  wrong." 

"Then  stealin'  apples  ain't  wrong,  eh?  And 
stonin'  my  dogs  ain't  wrong,  eh?  And  stealin'  a 
chicken,  eh?" 

"I  am  not  stealing  apples,  and  the  only  time  I 
stoned  one  of  your  dogs  was  when  he  ran  after  me 


ALL  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  A  KITE  91 

as  I  was  passing  on  the  road.  I  didn't  propose  to 
be  bitten." 

"Don't  tell  me,  ye  young  vagabond!  I  know 
you  boys — a  pretty  crowd  ye  be,  all  o'  ye!  I'll 
have  the  law  on  ye!"  And  once  again  Mike 
Marcy  shook  poor  Dave. 

"What  is  it,  Mike?"  came  from  out  of  the 
gloom,  and  a  woman  appeared.  She  was  the 
farmer's  wife  and  as  hard-hearted  as  her  husband. 

"I've  got  one  o'  them  schoolboys,"  answered 
the  man.  "Caught  him  prowlin'  around  the 
orchard." 

"See  here,  I  have  done  no  wrong,  I  tell  you,  and 
I  want  you  to  treat  me  decently,"  said  Dave.  "We 
came  over  awhile  ago  for  a  kite,  that  sailed  into 
one  of  your  trees.  After  we  got  the  kite  I  dis- 
covered that  I  had  lost  my  watch  and  I  came  back 
for  it." 

"A  fine  story  indade,"  muttered  Mike  Marcy. 
"But  it's  not  me  that  is  going  to  believe  that  same. 
I've  caught  ye  and  I  am  going  to  make  an  example 
of  ye!" 

"Yes,  Mike,  don't  let  him  go,"  put  in  Mrs. 
Marcy. 

"You  haven't  any  right  to  detain  me,"  said 
Dave.     "I  have  told  you  the  exact  truth." 

"I  don't  believe  it,  and  until  ye  can  prove  the 
tale  ye'll  stay  here." 

With  this  Mike  Marcy  took  a  firmer  hold  of 


92  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Dave's  collar  than  ever  and  began  to  drag  him 
through  the  orchard  towards  the  farmhouse. 

Dave  struggled,  but  the  strong  farmer  was  too 
much  for  him  and  he  was  compelled  to  go  along. 
The  farmer's  wife  came  behind  the  pair,  armed 
with  a  mop  she  had  picked  up  at  the  back  door. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me?"  asked  the 
youth,  after  a  minute  of  silence. 

"Ye'll  soon  see,"  answered  the  farmer. 

They  soon  reached  the  barnyard  attached  to  the 
farm.  Here,  to  one  side,  was  a  smokehouse,  built 
of  stone,  with  a  heavy  door  of  wood  and  sheet-iron. 
The  small  building  was  open  and  empty. 

"I'll  put  ye  in  there  for  a  while  and  see  how  ye 
like  it,"  said  Mike  Marcy,  and  shoved  Dave  to- 
wards the  smokehouse. 

"See  here,  Mr.  Marcy,  you  are  not  treating  me 
fairly.    You  have  no  right  to  make  me  a  prisoner." 

"Sure  and  I'll  take  the  right.  I  have  suffered 
enough  and  I'm  going  to  teach  somebody  a  lesson," 
answered  the  farmer,  grimly. 

"When  Dr.  Clay  hears  of  this  he'll  make  trouble 
for  you." 

"Will  he?  Not  much,  I'm  after  thinkin'.  Ye 
had  no  right  to  be  trespassin'  on  my  land.  The 
signs  are  up,  and  I  take  it  ye  can  read." 

"I  simply  came  over  to  get  something  that  be- 
longed to  me." 

"Well,  ye'll  stay  here  for  a  while,  an'  that  is 


ALL  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  A  KITE         93 

all  there  is  to  it,"  returned  Mike  Marcy,  and  with- 
out further  ceremony  he  thrust  Dave  into  the 
smokehouse.  The  youth  began  to  struggle  but 
could  not  get  away,  and  once  inside,  the  door  was 
banged  shut  in  his  face.  Then  the  bolt  was 
secured  with  a  stout  iron  pin,  and  he  found  himself 
a  prisoner  in  pitch  darkness. 

"I'll  be  back  sooner  or  later,"  cried  Mike  Marcy, 
in  a  satisfied  tone.  "So  make  yourself  comfort- 
able, me  laddibuck!"  And  then  he  walked  away, 
followed  by  his  wife,  and  Dave  was  left  to  himself. 

It  was  a  galling  position  to  be  in  and  Dave  re- 
sented it  thoroughly.  Yet  what  to  do  he  did  not 
know.  He  could  not  see  a  thing  and  on  all  sides 
of  him  were  the  thick  stone  walls  of  the  building, 
the  only  break  being  the  iron-covered  door,  which 
was  practically  as  solid  as  the  walls  themselves. 
Under  his  feet  the  ground  was  as  hard  as  stone. 
Everything  was  covered  with  a  thick  soot,  so  that 
he  scarcely  dared  to  put  out  a  hand  for  fear  of  be- 
coming like  a  negro. 

"Here's  a  fine  mess  truly!"  he  murmured  to  him- 
self, after  several  minutes  had  passed. 

He  listened,  but  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness. 
He  wondered  how  it  happened  that  Mike  Marcy's 
dogs  were  not  around,  not  knowing  that  the  farmer 
had  lost  one  through  a  peculiar  sickness  and  had 
taken  the  others  away  to  a  dog  doctor  for  special 
treatment. 


94  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  passed.  The  time  was  un- 
usually long  to  Dave,  and  now,  at  the  risk  of  get- 
ting black,  he  began  to  feel  around  the  smokehouse, 
looking  for  some  means  of  escaping  from  his 
prison.  From  over  his  head  dangled  an  iron  chain, 
used  for  smoking  purposes,  and  he  climbed  this, 
reaching  a  crossbar  above.  From  the  crossbar  he 
could  touch  the  roof,  which  proved  to  be  of  heavy 
planking,  well  joined  together. 

"If  I  could  only  knock  off  one  of  those  planks  I 
might  get  out,"  he  reasoned,  and  began  to  feel  of 
one  plank  after  another,  trying  to  determine  which 
would  offer  the  least  resistance  to  his  efforts. 

Dave  had  just  discovered  a  plank  which  seemed 
to  be  a  little  looser  than  the  others  when  a  sound 
outside  broke  upon  his  ears.  Thinking  that  Mike 
Marcy  was  coming  back,  he  dropped  to  the  floor- 
ing of  the  smokehouse. 

The  sounds  came  closer  and  presently  he  heard 
two  persons  come  to  a  halt  close  to  the  smokehouse 
door.  By  their  voices  they  were  evidently  men, 
but  neither  was  the  owner  of  the  place. 

Wondering  what  this  new  arrival  meant  Dave 
remained  quiet  and  listened  intently.  For  several 
seconds  he  could  not  make  out  what  was  being  said. 
Then  he  heard  words  which  filled  him  with  as- 
tonishment and  alarm. 


CHAPTER  XI 

AT  THE   WIDOW   FAIRCHILD's    HOUSE 

"Are  you  dead  certain  the  money  is  in  the 
house?"  were  the  first  words  that  Dave  heard  dis- 
tinctly.    They  came  in  rather  a  hoarse  voice. 

"Yes,  I  saw  Mrs.  Fairchild  draw  the  money 
from  the  bank.  She  put  it  in  a  black  bag  and 
started  straight  for  her  home."  The  reply  came 
in  a  voice  that  was  also  hoarse,  almost  guttural. 

"It  would  certainly  be  a  dandy  haul." 

"Just  what  I've  said  all  along." 

"But  the  risk.  If  that  hired  man  sleeps  in  the 
house " 

"I  don't  think  he  does.  The  widow  don't  like 
men  folks  around.  I  heard  that  from  one  of 
the  neighbors,  the  day  I  went  to  price  some 
chickens." 

"Well,  we  might  go  over  to  her  place  and  take  a 
look  around,"  came  after  a  pause,  and  then  fol- 
lowed some  conversation  that  Dave  could  not 
catch.  A  few  minutes  later  the  two  men  walked 
away,  and  the  youth  heard  no  more  of  them. 

Dave  was  amazed  and  with  good  reason.     If  he 

95 


96    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

understood  the  situation  at  all  the  two  men  in- 
tended to  rob  the  house  of  a  widow  who  lived 
about  half  a  mile  up  the  road.  They  had  seen  her 
draw  some  money  from  a  bank  somewhere  and  in- 
tended to  take  the  amount  from  her. 

"They  must  be  the  very  chaps  who  robbed  Mr. 
Lapham  and  also  the  place  in  Oakdale,"  he 
thought.  "I  must  get  out  and  do  what  I  can  to 
outwit  them!" 

In  feverish  haste  he  climbed  the  chain  again  and 
pushed  on  the  plank  of  the  roof.  By  hard  work  he 
managed  to  loosen  one  end,  but  the  other  end 
seemed  to  be  tight  and  refused  to  budge. 

"If  I  only  had  something  to  pry  it  off  with,"  he 
mused,  but  could  find  nothing.  Then,  almost  in 
desperation,  he  dropped  to  the  ground  again  and 
began  to  pound  on  the  door,  at  the  same  time  shout- 
ing at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

For  a  good  five  minutes  this  brought  forth  no 
response,  but  presently  Mike  Marcy  came  forth 
from  the  farmhouse,  lantern  in  hand,  and  stalked 
over  to  his  barn.  When  he  came  out  he  carried  a 
long  rawhide  whip  in  his  hand. 

"Say,  boy,  quit  that  noise,  or  I'll  tan  ye  well!" 
he  cried,  wrathfully,  as  he  came  up  to  the  smoke- 
house and  set  the  lantern  on  the  ground. 

"Mr.  Marcy,  is  that  you?"  queried  Dave, 
quickly. 

"Yes,  'tis,  and  I  want  ye  to  stop  that  racket." 


AT  WIDOW  FAIRCHILD'S  HOUSE       97 

"Let  me  out  at  once — it  is  very  important,"  went 
on  Dave. 

"Important,  is  it?"  sneered  the  Irish- American 
farmer.  "'Tis  more  important  ye  stop  that  noise, 
so  it  is!" 

"Mr.  Marcy,  listen  to  me,"  said  Dave.  "I  have 
something  very  important  to  tell  you.  If  you 
won't  listen  there  will  be  big  trouble.  You  must 
let  me  out,  and  both  of  us  must  catch  two  bur- 
glars." 

"Sure,  and  what  is  the  lad  talkin'  about?"  ex- 
claimed the  farmer. 

"I  am  telling  you  the  truth.  Let  me  out  in- 
stantly." 

"'Tis  a  trick,  I'm  after  thinkin' " 

"No,  sir,  I  give  you  my  word  of  honor  it  is  not. 
Let  me  out  and  I  will  explain.  Please  hurry 
up." 

Dave's  earnestness  at  last  impressed  the  farmer 
to  the  extent  that  he  opened  the  door  cautiously  for 
the  space  of  a  foot.  As  the  youth  came  forth  the 
man  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"Now  don't  try  to  run,  or  'twill  be  the  worse  for 
ye!" 

"Mr.  Marcy,  listen!"  cried  Dave.  "Only  a 
short  while  ago  two  men  were  here.  They  stopped 
close  to  the  smokehouse  to  talk.  They  spoke  of 
the  Widow  Fairchild  having  money  in  her  house 
which  she  had  just  gotten  from  the  bank.     They 


98  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

talked  of  robbing  her,  and  they  went  off  to  do  the 
job." 

The  farmer  listened  and  his  jaw  dropped 
slightly. 

"Is  it  a  fairy  story  ye  are  after  tellin'  ?" 

"No,  sir,  it  is  the  absolute  truth.  I  think  they 
were  the  same  chaps  who  robbed  Mr.  Lapham  and 
robbed  that  house  in  Oakdale.  They  seem  to  be 
doing  their  best  to  loot  this  whole  neighbor- 
hood." 

"They  were  here?"  faltered  Mike  Marcy.  At 
last  he  began  to  believe  Dave. 

"Yes,  sir,  not  over  quarter  of  an  hour  ago." 

"Did  they  speak  of  robbing  my  place?"  went 
on  the  Irish-American  farmer  suspiciously. 

"No,  sir,  I  am  sure  they  started  directly  for  Mrs. 
Fairchild's  place." 

"And  ye  want  me  to  go  with  ye  and  catch 
them?"     . 

"Isn't  it  our  duty  to  catch  them  if  we  can?" 

"Sure.    But  can  we  do  it  alone?" 

"We  can  call  up  somebody  else  on  the  way." 

"So  we  can.  Well,  I'll  go — but  first  I'll  take  a 
look  around  my  own  place,"  added  Mike  Marcy. 

He  took  his  lantern  and  walked  around  the  house 
and  then  told  his  wife  of  Dave's  discovery.  Mrs. 
Marcy  began  to  tremble  as  she  listened,  and  she 
shook  her  head  when  her  husband  said  he  pro- 
posed to  go  after  the  robbers. 


AT  WIDOW  FAIRCHILD'S  HOUSE       99 

"It  is  not  meself  is  going  to  stay  here  all  alone, 
wid  robbers  floatin'  around  in  the  dark,"  said  Mrs. 
Marcy.  "Let  the  boy  call  up  the  constable,  or 
somebody  else." 

"It  will  take  too  long,"  said  Dave,  impatiently. 
"Even  now  it  may  be  too  late." 

"Ye'U  be  safe  enough  with  the  doors  and  win- 
dows locked,"  said  Mike  Marcy.  "Ye  can  use 
the  shotgun  if  they  come  back.  I'll  take  the 
pistol." 

He  was  a  man  used  to  having  his  own  way,  and 
soon  he  set  off  with  his  pistol  in  his  pocket  and  a 
good-sized  club  in  his  hand.  Dave  armed  himself 
with  another  club,  and  set  a  good  stiff  pace,  once 
they  were  on  the  road. 

"We  can  stop  at  Brown's  house  and  call  him 
up,"  said  Mike  Marcy.  He  referred  to  Farmer 
Brown,  who  occupied  a  house  directly  on  the  road 
they  were  traveling.  Reaching  the  place  they 
knocked  loudly  on  the  door  and  presently  the 
owner  stuck  his  head  out  of  an  upper  window. 

"What's  wanted?" 

"Come  down  here,"  shouted  Mike  Marcy. 
"We  want  ye  to  help  capture  two  robbers." 

"Two  robbers?"  said  Farmer  Brown. 

"Mercy  sakes  alive!"  burst  out  the  farmer's 
wife.  "Are  robbers  around?  We'll  all  be  mur- 
dered in  our  beds!" 

"They  ain't  here — they  be  over  to  the  Widow 


ioo     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Fairchild's,"  answered  Mike  Marcy.  "Come  on. 
Is  Bill  around?" 

"Yes,  here  I  am,"  said  the  farmer's  son,  from 
another  window.  "I'll  be  down  in  a  minit,  with 
my  gun." 

There  was  a  short  argument  after  this,  but  in  the 
end  Farmer  Brown  and  his  son  Bill,  a  tall,  wiry 
youth  of  nineteen,  agreed  to  accompany  Mike 
Marcy  and  Dave.  Mrs.  Fairchild's  home  was  less 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and  to  cut  off  a  bend 
of  the  highway  they  took  to  an  open  field  which 
came  to  an  end  at  the  edge  of  the  widow's 
orchard. 

"There  is  the  house,"  whispered  Mike  Marcy, 
at  last.     "Better  go  slow  now." 

"Yes,  we  don't  want  them  to  get  away,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

"Let  us  spread  out  around  the  house,"  advised 
Farmer  Brown.  "The  first  one  to  spot  the  rascals 
can  give  the  alarm." 

So  it  was  agreed,  and  while  Dave  went  to  the 
rear  of  the  dwelling  the  others  passed  to  the  front 
and  sides.  The  place  was  pitch  dark  on  the  inside 
and  lit  up  only  by  the  light  of  the  stars  from  with- 
out. 

Dave's  heart  was  beating  rather  rapidly,  for 
there  was  no  telling  when  he  would  find  himself 
face  to  face  with  the  two  robbers,  and  he  realized 
that    they    must    be    desperate    characters.     He 


AT  WIDOW  FAIRCHILD'S  HOUSE      101 

clutched  the  club  tightly,  resolved  to  do  his  best, 
should  it  come  to  a  hand-to-hand  encounter. 

Several  minutes  passed  and  slowly  the  four  out- 
side walked  completely  around  the  building.  Only 
one  window  was  open,  that  to  the  dining  room. 

"See  anybody?"  whispered  Mike  Marcy,  com- 
ing up  to  Dave. 

"No." 

"Sure  ye  didn't  make  any  mistake?" 

"I  didn't  see  a  soul.  Maybe  they  haven't  come 
up  yet." 

"That  is  so." 

"We  can  wait  a  while  and  see,"  suggested  Bill 
Brown.  "If  we  wake  the  widder  we  may  scare 
'em  off." 

They  waited  after  that  for  another  spell,  but  no- 
body appeared,  nor  did  they  hear  any  sound  out  of 
the  ordinary.  Then  it  was  resolved  to  arouse 
Mrs.  Fairchild  and  wait  in  the  house  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  robbers. 

"That  is,  if  they  are  coming,"  said  Farmer 
Brown.     "Maybe  the  boy  made  a  mistake." 

"I  am  certain  I  made  no  mistake,"  answered 
Dave,  positively.  "But  they  may  have  changed 
their  plans." 

"Humph!"  muttered  Mike  Marcy.  "If  it's  a 
trick — But  we'll  talk  that  over  later." 

The  door  had  an  old-fashioned  knocker,  and  this 
Farmer  Brown  used  lightly  at  first  and  then  with 


102     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

vigor.  To  the  surprise  of  all  in  the  party  nobody 
answered  the  summons. 

"The  widder  must  be  away!"  cried  Farmer 
Brown.  "Funny, — she  was  home  at  sundown. 
Where  would  she  go  after  dark?" 

"Perhaps  she's  been  murdered,"  suggested  Bill. 

"Murdered!"  exclaimed  the  others,  and  Dave's 
blood  seemed  to  run  cold. 

"A  regular  robber  wouldn't  stop  at  murder,  if 
he  was  caught  in  the  act,"  said  the  farmer. 

"Maybe  we  ought  to  break  in  the  door." 

"Or  git  in  through  the  window,"  suggested 
Mike  Marcy. 

While  they  were  deliberating  they  heard  the 
sounds  of  carriage  wheels  on  the  road.  The  turn- 
out was  coming  along  at  smart  speed  and  all  ran 
towards  the  road  to  see  who  was  driving.  To 
their  surprise  they  saw  the  Widow  Fairchild  alight, 
followed  by  a  farmer  named  Burr  and  a  hired  man 
called  Sandy. 

"How  do  ye  do,  widder!"  called  out  Farmer 
Brown.     "Been  away  long?" 

"Why,  what  does  this  mean?"  stammered  Mrs. 
Fairchild,  who  was  a  woman  of  forty  and  weighed 
at  least  two  hundred  pounds.  She  often  went  out 
to  do  nursing  throughout  the  Oakdale  district. 

"We  came  here  lookin'  fer  robbers,"  explained 
Mike  Marcy.  "We  thought  they  was  comin'  to 
visit  you." 


AT  WIDOW  FAIRCHILD'S  HOUSE      103 

"By  gum!"  came  from  the  farmer  named  Burr. 
"Reckon  you  are  right,  Mrs.  Fairchild." 

"Right?     How?"  asked  Dave,  quickly. 

"I'll  tell  you,"  answered  the  widow.  "About 
an  hour  ago  somebody  knocked  on  the  door.  I 
opened  the  window  upstairs  and  asked  what  was 
wanted.  A  man  was  there  muffled  up  in  an  over- 
coat. Says  he,  'Is  that  you,  Mrs.  Fairchild?' 
'Yes,'  says  I.  'Well,'  says  he,  'you're  wanted  over 
to  Mrs.  Burr's  house  right  away.  The  baby  is  dy- 
ing. I've  got  to  go  for  a  doctor,'  says  he,  and  runs 
away.  I  didn't  hardly  know  what  to  do,  but  I 
hurried  into  my  clothes  and  locked  up  and  almost 
run  to  Mr.  Burr's  place.  When  I  got  there  they 
was  all  to  bed  and  the  baby  as  healthy  as  ever. 
Then  I  got  suspicious,  for  I've  got  four  hundred 
dollars  in  the  house  that  I  got  out  of  the  bank  at 
Rayfield  to  pay  off  on  that  new  house  I'm  building 
in  Oakdale.  Mr.  Burr  hitched  up  at  once  and 
brought  me  over.  So  you  know  about  the  fellow, 
do  you?" 

"I  know  two  men  started  for  this  place  to  rob 
your  house,"  said  Dave. 

"Better  go  in  and  see  if  the  money  is  safe,"  sug- 
gested Farmer  Brown.  "Did  you  leave  that  win- 
dow open?"  he  added. 

"Window  open?  No  indeed!"  shrieked  Mrs. 
Fairchild,  and  without  further  ceremony  she 
brought  forth  her  key  and  opened  the  front  door. 


104     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Then  she  lit  the  lamp  and  began  to  make  a  search 
of  the  premises. 

"They  have  been  in  here !"  she  wailed.  "See 
how  everything  is  upset!"  She  ran  to  a  china 
closet.  "Oh,  dear,  look  at  the  dishes!  Some  of 
'em  broken!  Oh!"  She  gave  a  wild  scream. 
"The  money  is  gone!  They  have  robbed  me  of 
the  four  hundred  dollars  I" 


CHAPTER  XII 

AT   WORK   IN  THE   DARK 

Dave  had  more  than  half  expected  the  declara- 
tion the  Widow  Fairchild  made,  so  when  it  came 
he  was  not  surprised.  The  others,  however, 
stared  in  bewilderment  and  dismay. 

"All  gone?"  queried  Mike  Marcy. 

"Every  dollar!"  groaned  the  widow.  "Oh,  the 
rascals,  the  heartless  villains!  To  rob  a  poor 
widow  in  this  fashion !  And  I  worked  so  hard  to 
save  that  money!  Oh,  where  are  they?  I  must 
catch  them  and  get  my  money  back!"  And  she 
stalked  around  the  room  wringing  her  hands  in  her 
despair. 

"What  a  pity  that  we  got  here  too  late,"  said 
Dave.  "I  wish  you  had  hurried  more,"  he  con- 
tinued to  the  Irish- American  farmer.  "I  told  you 
not  to  waste  time." 

"Don't  ye  blame  me  for  this!"  replied  Mike 
Marcy,  half  in  alarm  and  half  in  wrath.  "I  hur- 
ried all  I  could." 

"Let  us  make  a  search  for  the  rascals,"  said  Joel 
Burr.     "They  may  not  be  very  far  off." 

105 


106     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"It  won't  do  any  good,"  announced  Farmer 
Brown.  "We've  been  around  here  too  long  a- 
looking  for  'em." 

"Yes,  they're  a  long  way  off  by  this  time,"  said 
his  son  Bill.  "With  four  hundred  dollars  in  their 
pockets  they  won't  let  no  grass  grow  under  their 
feet." 

"This  is  the  third  robbery  inside  of  six  weeks," 
was  Joel  Burr's  comment.  "Must  say  they  be 
getting  mighty  free-handed." 

In  spite  of  what  had  been  said,  all  went  outside 
and  took  a  look  around  the  grounds  and  up  and 
down  the  highway.  But  it  was  useless;  not  the 
least  trace  of  the  burglars  could  be  found  anywhere 
about. 

While  the  others  were  outside,  the  widow  in- 
spected her  house  more  thoroughly.  She  said  a 
dozen  silver  spoons  were  missing  and  likewise  an 
old  gold  watch  and  some  old-fashioned  gold  and 
pearl  jewelry.  She  placed  her  total  loss  at  nearly 
five  hundred  dollars. 

Dave  had  to  tell  his  story  in  detail,  to  which  all 
of  the  others  but  Mike  Marcy  listened  with  in- 
terest. The  widow  blamed  the  Irish-American 
farmer  for  not  having  come  to  the  house  sooner, 
declaring  that  had  he  done  so  the  robbers  would 
have  been  caught  red-handed;  and  quite  a  war  of 
words  followed. 

"What  am  I  to  do,  now  my  money  is  gone?"  she 


AT  WORK  IN  THE  DARK  107 

wailed.  "I  cannot  pay  that  carpenter's  bill  and  it 
must  be  paid  by  the  end  of  this  month." 

"You'll  have  to  notify  the  constable,  or  the 
sheriff,"  answered  Joel  Burr. 

"What  good  will  that  do?  They  haven't  done 
anything  for  Lapham,  nor  for  Jerry  Logan  who 
was  robbed  in  Oakdale." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  what  you  can  do,  widder." 

Mrs.  Fairchild  declared,  when  she  had  settled 
down  a  little,  that  the  man  who  had  spoken  to  her 
about  the  sick  baby  had  had  a  hoarse  voice,  and  all 
were  satisfied  that  that  individual  was  one  of  those 
Dave  had  heard  talk  near  the  smokehouse.  But 
she  had  not  seen  his  face,  so  she  could  not  give  any 
description  of  him  excepting  to  say  that  he  was 
rather  tall. 

It  was  now  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  and  as  Dave 
had  had  no  supper  he  was  hungry.  His  tramping 
around  had  made  him  tired,  and  he  said  if  he  was 
not  wanted  any  more  he  would  go  home. 

"Go  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  said  Mike 
Marcy.  "But  don't  lay  the  blame  of  this  robbery 
on  me.  Remember,  ye  had  no  right  to  be  tres- 
passin'  on  my  property." 

"I  simply  told  the  truth,"  said  Dave ;  and  a  little 
later  he  withdrew  and  hurried  forth  into  the  night 
in  the  direction  of  Oak  Hall. 

It  was  a  lonely  road  and  a  less  courageous  boy 
might  have  been   frightened.      It  was  cold  and 


108     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

quiet  and  he  walked  a  full  mile  without  meeting  a 
soul.  Then,  as  he  was  passing  Mike  Marcy's  or- 
chard, two  figures  sprang  out  in  the  darkness. 

"Dave!" 

"Hello,  so  it  is  you,  Phil,  and  Roger!  What 
brought  you  out  again?" 

"We  came  to  find  you.  We  were  afraid  you 
had  gotten  into  trouble  with  Mike  Marcy,"  an- 
swered Phil. 

"Where  in  the  world  have  you  been?"  asked  the 
senator's  son.  "We  reported  that  you  had  lost 
your  watch,  but  didn't  expect  you'd  stay  away  so 
long." 

"Well,  I've  had  troubles  enough,"  answered 
Dave,  with  a  faint  smile,  and  as  the  three  hurried 
for  the  academy  he  told  his  tale  from  beginning  to 
end. 

"Well,  if  this  doesn't  beat  the  Greeks!"  ex- 
claimed Phil.  "Say,  these  robberies  are  getting 
serious." 

"Are  you  going  to  tell  Dr.  Clay?"  asked 
Roger. 

"Certainly.  I  haven't  done  anything  wrong, 
so  why  shouldn't  I  tell  him?" 

"I  guess  you  are  right.  But  I  shouldn't  disturb 
him  to-night.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  go  to  him 
in  the  morning." 

Phil  and  Roger  had  gotten  out  of  the  Hall  by  a 
back  way,  leaving  the  door  unlocked  behind  them. 


AT  WORK  IN  THE  DARK  109 

The  three  boys,  as  a  consequence,  entered  easily, 
and  then  Dave  took  the  chance  of  being  discovered 
by  going  down  to  the  kitchen  for  something  to  eat. 
In  the  pantry  he  found  a  pumpkin  pie,  some  cold 
beans,  and  some  milk,  and  on  these  made  a  hearty 
repast.  Then  he  went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly 
until  the  bell  awoke  him  at  seven  o'clock. 

He  felt  that  he  should  be  reprimanded  and  he 
was  not  mistaken.  Job  Haskers  strode  up  to  him 
as  soon  as  he  went  below. 

"Master  Porter,  where  were  you  last  evening?" 
he  demanded,  in  harsh  tones. 

"I  lost  my  watch,  Mr.  Haskers,  and  went  to 
look  for  it.  Then  something  very  unusual  hap- 
pened, which  I  am  going  to  report  to  Dr.  Clay." 

"Something  unusual,  eh?"  said  the  assistant 
teacher,  curiously. 

"Yes,  sir.     But  I  prefer  to  report  to  Dr.  Clay." 

"Hum!  Very  well — I  will  talk  to  the  doctor 
myself  later.  We  cannot  permit  pupils  of  this 
institution  to  come  and  go  at  will."  And  with  an 
air  of  great  importance  Job  Haskers  passed  on. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over  Dave  went  to 
Dr.  Clay's  private  study.  The  worthy  owner 
of  Oak  Hall  was  at  his  desk,  looking  over  some 
letters  which  had  just  come  in.  He  gazed  at  Dave 
in  mild  curiosity. 

"Dr.  Clay,  may  I  speak  to  you  for  a  few 
minutes?"  asked  the  youth. 


no  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Certainly,  Porter.     Come  in  and  sit  down." 

Dave  entered  and  closed  the  door  after  him,  for 
he  had  caught  sight  of  Job  Haskers  close  at  hand, 
curious  to  learn  what  he  might  have  to  say  for  him- 
self. Sitting  down  he  told  his  rather  remarkable 
story,  to  which  the  master  of  the  Hall  listened  with 
close  attention. 

"These  robbers  are  certainly  getting  bold,"  said 
Dr.  Clay.  "It  is  a  pity  you  could  not  get  out 
of  that  smokehouse  sooner." 

"That  is  just  what  I  told  the  others." 

"You  are  certain  you  went  over  to  Marcy's  only 
for  the  kite  and  later  for  the  watch?"  and  the  doc- 
tor looked  Dave  squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"That's  it,  sir.  I  did  not  touch  his  apples  or 
anything  else,  and  neither  did  Phil  nor  Roger." 

"Then  he  certainly  had  no  right  to  lock  you  up. 
Do  you  wish  to  make  a  complaint  against  him?" 

"No,  not  that.  Only  I  wanted  to  explain  why  I 
didn't  get  back  to  school  last  evening." 

(IT    ___    »1 

1  see. 

"Mr.  Haskers  approached  me  about  it  and  acted 
as  if  he  wanted  to  punish  me." 

"Ah !  Well,  you  can  tell  him  that  I  have  taken 
the  matter  in  hand  and  that  you  have  been  excused. 

I  have  but  one   fault  to  find,   and  that  is " 

The  doctor  paused  and  smiled. 

"That  we  didn't  catch  the  robbers,"  finished 
Dave. 


AT  WORK  IN  THE  DARK  in 

"Exactly.  The  authorities  must  get  after  the 
rascals.  Until  they  are  caught  nobody  in  this  dis- 
trict will  be  safe." 

After  a  few  words  more  Dave  left  the  office  and 
went  to  his  classroom.  As  he  did  this  Job  Has- 
kers  entered  the  doctor's  office.  He  must  have 
asked  the  master  of  Oak  Hall  about  Dave,  for 
after  he  came  away  he  said  nothing  more  to  the 
youth  concerning  his  absence. 

The  next  few  days  went  quietly  by.  From  Le- 
mond  the  boys  learned  that  Mrs.  Fairchild  had  ap- 
pealed to  the  authorities  and  two  detectives  were  at 
work  searching  for  the  robbers,  but  so  far  nothing 
had  been  learned  about  the  rascals. 

"They'll  keep  quiet  for  a  while,"  said  Ben,  and 
such  proved  to  be  the  case. 

One  afternoon  a  letter  reached  Oak  Hall  ad- 
dressed to  Roger  Morr,  Captain  Oak  Hall  Foot- 
ball Club.  It  proved  to  be  the  expected  challenge 
from  Rockville  Military  Academy.  The  eleven 
of  that  institution  challenged  the  Oak  Hall  team 
to  play  a  game  of  football  two  weeks  from  that 
date,  on  some  grounds  to  be  mutually  decided  upon. 
Pinned  to  the  challenge  was  a  note  stating  a  certain 
rich  gentleman  named  Richard  Mongrace  had 
offered  a  fine  gold  cup  to  the  winning  team,  provid- 
ing the  match  was  played  on  the  new  grounds  laid 
out  in  his  private  park,  located  at  Hilltop,  six  miles 
from  the  river. 


ii2     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Here  is  the  challenge  at  last,"  said  Roger,  and 
he  read  it  aloud.  "I  suppose  there  is  nothing  to 
do  but  accept." 

uYes,  we've  got  to  give  them  the  chance  to  even 
up,"  said  Phil. 

"They  haven't  forgotten  that  we  beat  them  last 
season  by  a  score  of  n  to  8,"  said  another  of  the 
eleven. 

"I've  heard  something  about  their  team  this 
year,"  said  Ben.  "They  have  dropped  three  old 
players  and  have  three  A  No.  i  fellows  in  their 
places.  Two  weeks  ago,  as  you  know,  they  beat 
the  Hamilton  eleven,  17  to  5,  and  day  before 
yesterday  they  played  White  College  eleven  and 
won  out  by  a  score  of  12  to  5." 

"Then  they  must  be  a  heap  stronger  than  they 
were  last  year,"  said  Buster  Beggs.  "For  last  year 
White  College  beat  them  badly." 

"Yes,  and  Hamilton  beat  them  too,"  added 
Dave.  "I  shouldn't  wonder  but  that  they've  got  a 
crackajack  team  this  year." 

"Are  we  going  to  back  out?"  demanded  the 
senator's  son. 

"No !"  came  back  in  a  chorus. 

"Oak  Hall  never  backs  out !"  cried  Ben. 

"Well,  where  are  we  to  play?  I  suppose  they 
would  like  to  play  at  the  Mongrace  field,"  said 
Roger. 

"It's  a  dandy  spot — I  was  up  there  on  my  wheel 


AT  WORK  IN  THE  DARK  113 

last  Saturday,"  said  Shadow  Hamilton.  "They've 
got  a  nice  stand  there,  too." 

"And  our  field  is  all  lumpy,"  said  Phil.  "The 
doctor  is  going  to  have  it  leveled  off  next  spring." 

"Then  let  us  go  in  for  that  gold  cup  !"  cried  Sam 
Day.     And  several  others  echoed  the  sentiment. 

A  regular  meeting  of  the  football  club  was  called 
that  night,  and  it  was  decided,  after  consulting 
Dr.  Clay,  to  accept  the  Rockville  challenge  to 
play  on  the  Mongrace  grounds.  A  letter  was  ac- 
cordingly written  and  forwarded  the  next  Monday. 

"Now  we  have  got  to  brace  up  and  practise," 
said  the  captain  of  the  eleven. 

"I  wish  you  could  get  rid  of  two  of  our  poorest 
players  and  take  on  Babcock  and  Henshaw,"  re- 
marked Dave.  "Those  two  would  help  us  won- 
derfully." 

"They  both  want  to  come  in,"  answered  the 
senator's  son.  "But  I  don't  see  how  I  can  drop 
any  of  our  present  members  after  the  way  they 
have  worked." 

"Yes,  I  know  that  wouldn't  be  fair." 

"I've  already  taken  them  on  as  substitutes. 
Maybe  they'll  get  in  the  game  after  all,"  went  on 
Roger. 

Practice  began  in  earnest  during  that  week  and 
all  did  their  best  to  follow  the  coaching  they  got 
from  the  first  assistant  teacher,  Andrew  Dale,  who 
had  been  both  a  college  player  and  a  coach.    The 


ii4     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

play  was  a  trifle  mixed  at  times,  but  the  boys 
worked  with  a  will  and  that  counted  for  a  good 
deal.  But  then  came  a  letter  calling  one  of  the 
players  home,  to  attend  the  funeral  of  an  uncle. 

"I've  got  to  leave  the  eleven,"  said  Luke  Wat- 
son. "You'll  have  to  get  somebody  to  take  my 
place." 

"I  am  sorry  to  see  you  go,"  said  Roger,  sym- 
pathetically. 

"Take  Babcock,"  went  on  Luke.  "You  couldn't 
do  better." 

"I  will,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY 

Paul  Bab  cock  was  more  than  glad  to  get  on 
the  eleven  actively,  and  that  afternoon  he  showed 
it  in  his  practice.  The  work  was  snappy  from 
start  to  finish  and  gave  Mr.  Dale  great  satisfac- 
tion. 

"That  is  something  like,"  declared  the  first  as- 
sistant teacher.  "Keep  it  up  and  you  will  surely 
win." 

After  the  practice  was  over  Babcock  left  the  field 
in  company  with  Dave.  As  the  two  strolled  across 
the  campus  they  passed  Gus  Plum,  who  scowled 
deeply  at  his  former  player. 

"Plum  doesn't  like  it  that  you've  come  over  to 
us,"  observed  Dave.  "He  looked  like  a  regular 
thundercloud." 

"He  has  nobody  to  blame  but  himself,"  an- 
swered Paul  Babcock.  "Even  if  his  team  were 
still  in  existence  I'd  never  play  with  him  again.  I 
want  to  act  on  the  square,  and  that  is  more  than  he 
wants  to  do." 

"I've  heard  he  wanted  you  to  use  foul  play." 
115 


u6  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Yes,  he  was  at  both  Henshaw  and  me  to  do 
some  dirty  work.  But  we  declined,  and  I  told  him 
I  had  a  good  mind  to  punch  his  nose  for  suggesting 
it.     That  made  him  boiling  mad." 

In  due  course  of  time  came  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Richard  Mongrace,  stating  he  was  glad  to  learn 
the  match  was  to  come  off  on  his  new  grounds,  and 
that  he  would  do  all  in  his  power  to  make  the  two 
elevens  and  their  friends  comfortable.  The 
golden  cup  he  proposed  to  put  up  cost  exactly  one 
hundred  dollars  and  was  to  belong  to  the  school 
winning  it  twice  in  two  or  three  games,  one  game  a 
year  to  be  played  for  it. 

Dr.  Clay  knew  Mr.  Mongrace  well  and  one  day 
drove  over  to  see  the  new  grounds.  He  came  back 
in  an  enthusiastic  mood. 

"Mr.  Mongrace  is  certainly  a  fine  man,"  said 
the  master  of  Oak  Hall.  "He  has  with  him  a  sick 
brother  who  cannot  leave  the  estate.  This  brother 
used  to  be  a  famous  football  player  on  the  Prince- 
ton team.  For  his  benefit  Mr.  Mongrace  has  laid 
out  the  field,  and  he  is  going  to  have  some  of  the 
best  amateur  teams  in  the  country  play  there." 

"That  will  cost  some  money,"  said  Roger. 

"Yes,  but  he  is  rich  and  can  easily  afford  it. 
He  has  erected  a  fine  grand  stand  and  will  also  put 
up  a  big  tent,  where  refreshments  will  be  served  to 
the  visitors  from  both  academies." 

After  that  the  doctor  spoke  about  the  coming 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY         117 

event  before  the  whole  school.  He  said  he  trusted 
that  they  would  all  act  like  young  gentlemen  while 
guests  of  Mr.  Mongrace  and  thus  do  their  institu- 
tion credit. 

The  only  persons  at  Oak  Hall  who  did  not  look 
forward  to  the  match  with  favor  were  Plum, 
Poole,  and  Jasniff.  At  first  they  thought  to  re- 
main at  home  during  the  contest,  but  afterwards 
changed  their  minds,  the  reason  being  a  plan  which 
Nick  Jasniff  proposed. 

Jasniff  was  thoroughly  unscrupulous,  and  a  year 
before  had  been  dismissed  from  another  boarding 
academy  because  of  his  dishonorable  actions.  He 
was  a  lad  who  was  willing  to  do  almost  anything  to 
accomplish  his  end. 

Jasniff's  plan  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  to 
play  a  trick  on  some  members  of  Roger's  eleven,  so 
that  they  could  not  take  part  in  the  game.  This 
would  weaken  the  Oak  Hall  club  to  such  an  extent 
that  they  would  be  likely  to  lose. 

"Can  we  do  it?"  asked  Poole. 

"Certainly  we  can,"  answered  Nick  Jasniff. 
"Why,  such  things  have  been  done  hundreds  of 
times." 

"Well,  what  do  you  propose?"  asked  Gus 
Plum. 

"I'll  tell  you  to-morrow.  I've  got  to  think  it 
over." 

"I  wish  I  was  dead  sure  Oak  Hall  would  lose," 


n8  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

whispered  the  bully  of  the  school.  "We  might 
make  some  money  by  the  operation." 

"So  we  could!"  cried  Nat  Poole.  "All  the 
Rockville  boys  are  betting  they  will  win." 

"And  we  could  bet  the  same  way,"  said  Jasniff, 
with  a  leer.  "Only  we'll  have  to  put  up  our  money 
through  some  outsider." 

"I  can  fix  that,"  said  Gus  Plum.  "I  know  a 
fellow  in  Oakdale  who  will  do  it  for  us." 

The  day  set  for  the  great  football  match  dawned 
bright  and  clear.  As  soon  as  they  could  get  away 
from  their  school  duties  Roger's  eleven  went  out 
for  a  short  practice  and  Henshaw  and  the  other 
substitutes  with  them.  Henshaw  was  sorry  he  was 
not  on  the  regular  team,  but  said  little  about  it. 

While  the  practice  was  going  on,  Plum,  Poole, 
and  Jasniff  watched  all  the  players  closely,  trying 
to  gain  the  knowledge  of  some  tricks  and  signals, 
which  they  hoped  later  to  divulge  to  the  Rockville 
eleven. 

The  practice  at  an  end,  Babcock  announced  that 
he  wanted  to  go  to  a  place  called  Leeton  on  an 
errand.  Leeton  was  a  small  railroad  crossing  two 
miles  from  the  school,  where  Babcock  had  a 
relative  living. 

"Wouldn't  you  like  to  go  with  me?"  he  asked 
Dave.  "We  can  go  over  on  our  bicycles  and  be 
back  inside  of  an  hour." 

Dave  was  willing,  thinking  the  short  spin  on  a 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY         119 

wheel  would  do  him  good.  They  soon  set  off,  and 
before  long  were  well  on  the  road. 

"There's  our  chance!"  cried  Nick  Jasniff,  as  he 
and  his  cronies  watched  the  departure.  "Just 
what  I  wanted!" 

"Shall  we  go  after  them?"  asked  Plum. 

"Sure!" 

The  bully  and  the  others  had  bicycles — indeed 
nearly  every  youth  at  Oak  Hall  had  one,  for  the 
craze  was  at  its  height.  The  three  set  off  without 
delay,  following  the  same  road  Dave  and  Babcock 
had  taken. 

Unconscious  of  the  fact  that  they  were  being  fol- 
lowed, Dave  and  his  companion  spun  along. 
There  was  a  winding  road,  across  a  brook,  then  up 
a  hill,  and  over  another  small  hill  to  the  railroad 
crossing.  At  several  places  pedaling  was  rather 
difficult,  but  they  did  not  mind  it,  being  fresh  and 
with  good  wind. 

Arriving  at  the  railroad  crossing,  Babcock 
stopped  at  the  house  for  which  he  was  bound  and 
executed  his  errand.  Then  the  two  lads  got  a 
drink  of  water  at  the  well  and  started  on  the  re- 
turn. 

"I'll  race  you  back!"  cried  Babcock. 

"Better  not  race  to-day,"  cautioned  Dave.  "We 
want  to  save  our  strength  for  the  game." 

"All  right,  Dave,  just  as  you  say.  But  a  little 
race  wouldn't  hurt  me." 


120     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Not  far  from  Leeton  the  road  made  a  sharp 
turn,  coming  up  close  to  the  railroad  tracks.  Here 
there  was  a  steep  down  grade  for  three  hundred 
feet.  As  the  boys  neared  the  turn  they  began  to 
coast,  thinking  the  way  perfectly  clear. 

They  were  almost  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  when 
something  happened  that  filled  them  with  alarm. 
Close  to  the  side  of  the  roadway  stood  a  tall,  slim 
tree.  As  they  came  up  the  tree  fell  directly  in  their 
path. 

"Look  out!"  yelled  Dave,  who  was  in  advance, 
and  then  his  bicycle  struck  the  tree  and  he  was 
pitched  headlong  over  the  handle-bars.  Babcock 
also  took  a  tumble,  and  both  lads  came  down  vio- 
lently at  the  side  of  the  road,  where  there  was  a 
gully  filled  with  rocks  and  hard  dirt.  Both  slid 
along,  turned  over,  and  then  lay  still. 

A  full  minute  passed  and  neither  Dave  nor  Bab- 
cock offered  to  get  up.  Then  from  out  of  the 
bushes  near  by  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff  emerged. 

"We  caught  'em  right  enough,"  muttered  Jas- 
niff.    "The  tree  came  down  just  in  time." 

"Ar — are  they  hu — hurt  much!"  faltered  Nat 
Poole.     His  face  was  as  white  as  death  itself. 

"They  are  certainly  knocked  out,"  answered 
Nick  Jasniff,  coolly. 

"Oh,  I  hope  they  ain't  dead!"  gasped  Poole,  his 
knees  beginning  to  shake. 

"They  are  not  dead,"  announced  Gus  Plum,  who 


Both  lads  came  down  violently  at  the  side  of  the  road. 
Page  120. 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY         121 

was  bending  over  the  fallen  youths.  "They  are 
stunned,  that's  all."  And  he  breathed  a  short 
sigh  of  relief,  for  he  had  been  fearful  of  serious 
results. 

"We  had  better  get  away,  before  they  come  to 
their  senses  and  recognize  us,"  went  on  Poole,  who 
was  the  most  timid-hearted  of  the  unworthy 
trio. 

While  they  were  deliberating  they  heard  the 
whistle  of  a  locomotive  on  the  railroad  and  soon  a 
long  train  of  empty  freight  cars  came  into  view. 
Then,  when  about  half  the  train  had  gone  by,  the 
cars  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  brought  to  a  stop  be- 
cause of  a  danger  signal  at  the  crossing. 

"What's  the  freight  train  stopping  for?"  asked 
Plum. 

"Don't  ask  me,"  answered  Nick  Jasniff.  "But 
I  say,"  he  added  suddenly.     "The  very  thing!" 

"What?" 

"Let  us  put  'em  both  in  one  of  the  empty  cars !" 

"Oh,  don't  bother!"  answered  Nat  Poole,  who, 
had  he  had  his  choice,  would  have  wheeled  away 
without  delay. 

"They  are  only  stunned — they'll  soon  come 
around,"  went  on  Jasniff.  "If  we  leave  them  here 
they  may  get  in  the  game  anyway.  We  may  as 
well  send  them  off  to  parts  unknown !" 

This  plan  appealed  strongly  to  Gus  Plum,  and 
both  he  and  Jasniff  walked  to  the  train  and  looked 


122     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

up  and  down  the  long  line  of  empty  cars.  Not  a 
soul  was  in  sight. 

"The  coast  is  clear,"  said  Jasniff.  "Come  on, 
we  can  do  it  in  a  jiffy,  and  nobody  will  be  the 
wiser." 

They  went  over  to  Babcock,  raised  him  up,  and 
carried  him  to  the  nearest  of  the  cars.  The  sliding 
door  was  wide  open,  and  they  pushed  the  un- 
conscious form  half  across  the  car  floor.  Then 
they  ran  back  and  picked  up  Dave.  At  that  mo- 
ment came  the  whistle  of  the  locomotive. 

"Hurry  up,  they  are  going  to  start !"  said  Jasniff, 
and  they  lost  no  time  in  pushing  Dave  into  the  car. 
Then  Jasniff  rolled  the  door  shut. 

"Might  as  well  lock  'em  in,"  he  suggested,  but 
before  he  could  accomplish  his  purpose  the  train 
gave  a  jerk  and  went  on  its  way.  All  three  of 
the  students  stared  at  it  and  watched  it  out  of 
sight. 

"They  are  gone,  that's  sure,"  murmured  Gus 
Plum.     His  heart  was  beating  violently. 

"Yes,  and  they  won't  come  back  in  a  hurry," 
chuckled  Nick  Jasniff. 

"Maybe  they  will  be  carried  clear  to  New 
York,"  said  Nat  Poole. 

"If  they  are,  so  much  the  better." 

"You  are  sure  they  weren't  seriously  hurt?" 

"I  guess  not." 

"If  they  are,  and  we  are  found  out " 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY         123 

uWho  is  going  to  tell  on  us?"  demanded  Nick 
Jasniff.     "Don't  you  dare  to  open  your  trap,  Nat." 

"Oh,  I  shan't  say  a  word." 

"Nobody  saw  us,"  said  Gus  Plum.  "So,  if  we 
keep  quiet,  nobody  will  ever  know  we  had  anything 
to  do  with  it." 

"What  about  the  wheels?" 

"Leave  them  right  where  they  are.  Somebody 
will  pick  them  up  sooner  or  later.  Both  are 
marked  Oak  Hall  and  have  the  initials  on  them." 

"Well,  what  are  we  to  do  next?"  asked  Gus 
Plum,  after  an  awkward  pause. 

"Get  out  of  here  and  wheel  over  to  Oakdale," 
answered  Nick  Jasniff,  who  had  become  the  leader 
of  the  unworthies.  "We  can  put  our  money  in  the 
hands  of  Lancaster  and  he  can  put  it  up  on  Rock- 
ville  for  us.     We  are  now  sure  to  win." 

"Morr  will  put  Henshaw  in  Babcock's  place," 
said  Poole,  as  they  rode  away. 

"Will  he?  Not  after  Henshaw  has  had  his  din- 
ner," and  Nick  Jasniff  winked  knowingly. 

"Do  you  mean  to  dose  him?"  asked  Plum. 

"I  guess  I  will.  I  sit  close  to  him  and  I  can 
drop  a  little  powder  in  his  food  which  will  make 
him  feel  weak  and  dizzy  all  the  afternoon." 

"Have  you  got  the  powder?" 

"I  can  get  it  from  Lancaster.  He  told  me  about 
it  several  days  ago." 

"It  isn't  poison,  is  it?"  asked  Nat  Poole.     He 


124    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

was  beginning  to  grow  afraid  of  Nick  Jasniff'sbold 
ways. 

"No,  it  won't  hurt  him  a  bit,  only  make  him 
weak  and  light-headed  for  a  few  hours." 

"Then  give  it  to  him  by  all  means,"  urged  Gus 
Plum.  "With  Porter,  Babcock,  and  Henshaw  out 
of  the  game  Rockville  is  bound  to  beat,  and  if  we 
make  the  right  kind  of  bets  we  ought  to  win  a  pot 
of  money  1" 


CHAPTER  XIV 

CARRIED  OFF 

When  Dave  came  to  his  senses  he  found  him- 
self rolling  around  the  floor  of  the  freight  car. 
The  door  was  three-quarters  shut  and  the  train  was 
winding  its  way  around  several  uneven  curves. 

He  put  his  hand  to  his  forehead.  There  was  a 
big  lump  near  his  left  eye  and  his  left  hand  was 
bleeding  from  several  scratches.  The  car  was  full 
of  dust  and  he  began  to  cough. 

"What  a  fearful  tumble!"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self, and  then  sat  up  and  stared  around  him. 
"Where  in  the  world  am  I?" 

He  had  expected  to  find  himself  beside  the  high- 
way; instead  he  was  boxed  in  and  moving  along  at 
a  speed  of  twenty  or  more  miles  an  hour.  He 
glanced  through  the  open  doorway  and  saw  the 
trees  and  rocks  flashing  by.  It  took  him  all  of  a 
minute  to  collect  his  scattered  senses,  and  then  he 
gazed  around  the  dust-laden  car.  Only  a  few  feet 
away  lay  the  form  of  Babcock.  The  youth  was 
breathing  heavily. 

125 


126     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Paul!"  he  called  out.  "Paul!  What  does 
this  mean?     Did  you  bring  me  here?" 

There  was  no  answer,  and  on  his  hands  and 
knees  he  bent  over  his  friend.  Then  he  gave 
Babcock  a  shake,  and  the  hurt  one  opened  his 
eyes. 

"The  tree — look  out  for  the  tree!"  he  mur- 
mured and  struggled  to  a  sitting  position. 

"Paul,  did  you  bring  me  here?"  went  on  Dave. 

"Me?  Here?  What  do  you  mean?  Where 
am  I?"  stammered  Babcock,  and  then  he,  too, 
stared  out  of  the  doorway  of  the  freight  car. 
"Well,  I  never!" 

It  was  not  until  several  minutes  later  that  the 
pair  comprehended  the  truth  of  the  fact  that  they 
were  in  a  freight  car  that  was  moving  along  at  a 
good  rate  of  speed  and  that  they  had  been  put  in 
the  car  by  some  party  or  parties  unknown. 

"This  certainly  beats  the  Dutch!"  cried  Dave. 
"Are  you  hurt  much?" 

"I  am  pretty  well  shaken  up,  and  my  shoulder  is 
a  little  lame,  Dave.     How  about  you?" 

"I've  got  this  lump  and  those  scratches,  that's 
all." 

"You  went  into  that  tree  and  so  did  I.  Do  you 
remember  what  happened  after  that?" 

"No." 

"Neither  do  I.  Somebody  must  have  put  us  in 
here.     Who  was  it?" 


CARRIED  OFF  127 

"Don't  ask  me,  and  don't  ask  me  where  we  are 
going  either,  for  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

The  two  students  talked  the  matter  over  for 
fully  five  minutes,  but  could  reach  no  conclusion. 
At  first  they  fancied  that  they  might  have  been 
robbed,  but  nothing  was  missing  but  their  wheels. 

"This  is  a  mystery  we  must  solve  later,"  said 
Dave.  "The  present  question  is,  How  are  we  to 
get  off  this  train  and  get  back  to  the  Hall?" 

A  moment  later  the  freight  train  passed  through 
a  small  lumber  town.  They  heard  a  mill  whistle 
blowing.     Dave  pulled  out  his  watch. 

"Why,  Paul,  it  is  twelve  o'clock!" 

"Nonsense!"  Babcock  consulted  his  own  time- 
piece. "You  are  right !  And  we  were  going  to  be 
back  to  the  Hall  by  dinner  time !" 

"Don't  forget  that  to-day  is  the  day  for  the 
great  football  match." 

"Creation!  Do  you  know  it  slipped  my  mind 
for  the  moment !    Why,  Dave,  we  must  get  back !" 

"I  agree  with  you." 

"Let  us  get  off  the  train  at  once." 

"What,  with  the  cars  running  at  twenty-five  or 
thirty  miles  an  hour !  No,  thank  you !  We've 
had  one  bad  tumble,  I  don't  want  a  second." 

Babcock  looked  out  of  the  doorway.  The  lum- 
ber town  had  been  left  behind  and  they  were  run- 
ning through  a  dense  woods.  How  far  they  were 
from  Leeton  and  Oak  Hall  they  could  not  tell. 


128     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  wish  we  could  signal  the  engineer,  I'd  soon 
stop  the  train,"  said  Dave. 

"Can't  we  crawl  to  the  top  of  the  car?" 

"We  might  if  we  were  regular  train  hands,  but 
as  greenies  we  had  better  not  risk,  it." 

Another  mile  was  passed,  and  the  train  began  to 
go  around  another  curve.  Then  came  a  steep  up- 
grade and  the  speed  of  the  cars  was  slackened. 

"We're  slowing  up!"  cried  Babcock.  "Maybe 
we  can  jump  for  it  now." 

The  locomotive  was  puffing  laboriously,  and 
presently  the  train  seemed  to  do  little  but  crawl 
along.     The  boys  looked  at  each  other. 

"Shall  we  go?"  asked  Dave. 

"Yes." 

"All  right,  here  goes!" 

Dave  swung  himself  down  and  made  a  jump  in 
safety.  Fifty  feet  further  on  Paul  Babcock  did 
the  same.  Then  the  long  freight  train  rolled  by, 
a  brakeman  on  the  caboose  gazing  at  them  curi- 
ously as  it  passed. 

"Well,  where  are  we?"  asked  Babcock,  gazing 
around  with  interest. 

"On  the  line  of  the  D.  S.  &  B.  railroad,"  an- 
swered Dave,  with  a  grim  smile. 

"I  know  that  well  enough,  but  where  on  the 
line?" 

"Some  miles  from  Leeton.  The  question  is, 
Shall  we  walk  back  on  the  track?" 


CARRIED  OFF  129 

"I  don't  know  of  anything  else  to  do.  We  can 
find  out  where  we  are  when  we  reach  that  lumber 
town  where  we  heard  the  whistle  blowing." 

They  walked  along  the  track  for  all  of  a  mile 
and  a  half  and  then  came  in  sight  of  the  lumber 
town,  which  consisted  of  nothing  but  the  mill,  one 
general  store,  and  a  dozen  frame  houses.  It  was 
now  nearly  one  o'clock  and  the  men  of  the  mill 
were  preparing  to  resume  their  day's  labor. 

"What  town  is  this?"  asked  Dave,  of  a  boy  they 
met. 

"This  town  is  Mill  Run,"  answered  the  youth. 

"How  far  is  it  to  Leeton?" 

"About  twelve  miles." 

"Twelve  miles!"  ejaculated  Babcock. 

"Yes,  and  maybe  more." 

"Do  you  know  when  we  can  get  back  to  Lee- 
ton?" 

"Not  till  seven-thirty  to-night.  There  are  only 
two  passenger  trains  a  day  on  this  line." 

"Well,  we've  got  to  get  back  before  to-night," 
said  Dave,  decidedly.  "We've  got  to  get  back 
right  now." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  do  it,"  said 
the  boy.     "Ain't  no  train,  nor  stage,  nor  nuthin." 

"Can't  we  hire  some  sort  of  a  carriage?"  queried 
Babcock.  "We  won't  mind  the  expense."  He 
came  from  a  well-to-do  family  and  had  ample 
spending  money. 


130  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Might  git  old  Si  Ross  to  drive  you  over." 

"Who  is  Si  Ross?" 

"Used  to  run  the  stage  from  here  to  Leeton  be- 
fore the  railroad  went  through." 

"Will  you  show  us  his  place?" 

"Of  course,"  answered  the  boy  and  took  them 
through  the  lumber  town  and  to  a  small  shanty  on 
the  outskirts.  Here  they  found  Si  Ross,  a  bent- 
over  old  man  who  was  rather  hard  of  hearing. 

"Hi,  Si!"  called  out  the  boy.  "These  fellers 
want  you  to  drive  'em  over  to  Leeton." 

"They're  arrivin'  from  Leeton?"  queried  the 
old  man. 

"No,  they  want  you  to  drive  'em  over — drive 
'em  over!"  shrieked  the  boy. 

"Me  drive  'em  over?" 

"Yes,"  said  Dave  and  Babcock  at  the  top  of 
their  voices,  and  nodded  vigorously. 

"Cost  ye  two  an'  a  half." 

"All  right.  Can  you  do  it  right  away?"  went 
on  Dave. 

"O'  course  I  know  the  way." 

"Can  you  do  it  right  away/"  screamed  Dave. 

"Sure — soon  as  I  kin  hitch  up." 

"Hurry  up!"  yelled  Babcock.  "We  want  to  get 
there  as  soon  as  possible." 

"I'll  git  ye  there  soon  enough,  don't  ye  fear," 
said  Si  Ross,  and  hobbled  off  to  his  barn.  He 
brought   forth   a   bony  horse   and  shoved   out   a 


CARRIED  OFF  131 

rickety  road  wagon  and  began  to  hook  up.  The 
boy  helped  him. 

"That  doesn't  look  very  promising,"  remarked 
Babcock. 

"Is  this  the  best  turnout  in  town?"  asked  Dave, 
of  the  boy. 

"It's  the  only  one  you  can  git,"  was  the  answer. 

At  last  Si  Ross  was  ready  to  leave  and  the  two 
students  got  up  on  the  rear  seat  of  the  wagon,  Dave 
first  giving  the  boy  ten  cents  for  his  trouble,  which 
pleased  the  urchin  immensely.  Then  Si  Ross 
pulled  himself  to  the  front  seat,  provided  himself 
with  a  fresh  chew  of  tobacco,  and  took  up  the  reins. 

"Gee  dap!"  he  sqeaked  to  the  bony  horse  and 
the  animal  started  off  on  a  walk.  Then  the  driver 
cracked  his  whip  and  soon  the  steed  was  making 
fairly  good  time  over  the  lonely  country  road. 

Again  the  boys  consulted  their  watches  and 
found  it  was  now  half-past  one  o'clock.  The  foot- 
ball game  was  scheduled  to  start  at  half-past  three. 

"Two  hours  to  get  there  in,"  said  Dave.  "We'll 
never  make  it." 

"I  think  we  ought  to  start  for  Mr.  Mongrace's 
place  direct,"  said  Babcock. 

"But  we  haven't  our  football  togs." 

"Perhaps  Roger  will  take  them  along,  or  we 
may  be  able  to  borrow  some.  One  thing  is  cer- 
tain, we  haven't  time  to  return  to  Oak  Hall  for 
them." 


132     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Do  you  know  where  Mr.  Mongrace's  estate 
is?"  asked  Dave,  in  a  loud  tone  of  the  driver. 

"Yes — very  fine  place,"  was  the  answer. 

"Can  you  take  us  there?" 

"How?" 

"Can  you  take  us  there?" 

"Sure.  But  I  thought  you  wanted  to  go  to  Lee- 
ton?" 

"We  must  get  to  Mr.  Mongrace's  by  half-past 
three!"  called  out  Dave. 

"I  can  make  it — but  we'll  have  to  hurry." 

"Go  ahead  then." 

"Three  dollars." 

"All  right!"  yelled  Babcock,  and  felt  in  his 
pocket.  "Oh,  pshaw !  I've  only  got  a  dollar  and 
a  quarter  with  me !" 

"Never  mind,  I've  got  it,"  said  Dave,  and 
brought  out  the  necessary  bank  bills. 

The  sight  of  the  cash  was  inspiring  to  Si  Ross, 
and  he  urged  his  bony  nag  along  at  a  faster  gait 
than  ever.  They  passed  over  one  small  hill  and 
then  came  out  on  a  highway  which  was  in  excellent 
condition. 

"I'd  like  to  know  who  put  us  in  that  freight 
car,"  said  Dave,  as  they  rattled  along.  "Do  you 
know,  I've  half  an  idea  the  whole  thing  was  a  put- 
up  job.  That  tree  seemed  to  fall  down  right  in 
front  of  us.  and  I  don't  see  what  should  make  it 
fall.     There  was  hardly  any  wind  blowing." 


CARRIED  OFF  133 

"It  was  certainly  a  curious  piece  of  business  all 
the  way  through,"  returned  Paul  Babcock.  "We'll 
have  to  start  an  investigation  after  the  game.  And 
we  must  try  to  recover  our  bicycles  too." 

"Do  you  think  any  of  the  Rockville  fellows 
would  be  mean  enough  to  play  such  a  trick  on  us?" 

"I  don't  know.  Whoever  it  was  took  big 
chances.     Why,  we  might  have  been  killed!" 

"Well,  it  wasn't  done  by  footpads,  otherwise  we 
should  have  been  robbed." 

"That  is  true.    Well,  the  best  thing  we  can 

Whoa !     What's  the  matter !" 

"The  horse  is  running  awayl" 

"The  back-strap  is  broken  I" 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  the  wagon 
was  swaying  from  side  to  side.  Then  came  a  turn, 
and  a  second  later  the  vehicle  ran  off  into  a  gully. 
Crash!  went  one  of  the  front  wheels,  and  over 
went  the  body.  The  horse  came  to  a  standstill 
and  Si  Ross  slid  into  some  bushes,  followed  by  the 
two  students. 

"Smashed!"  wailed  the  old  driver,  as  he  got  up 
and  surveyed  the  wreck. 

"And  that  ends  our  hope  of  getting  to  the  foot- 
ball field  in  time,"  added  Babcock  dolefully. 


CHAPTER  XV 

OFF    FOR   THE   GAME 

"Where  in  the  world  can  Dave  and  Paul  be 
keeping  themselves?" 

It  was  Roger  who  spoke.  He  and  the  others 
had  had  their  dinner  and  were  out  on  the  campus 
doing  a  last  bit  of  practising  before  starting  for 
Mr.  Mongrace's  place. 

"They  certainly  should  have  been  here  long 
ago,"  returned  Phil.  "They  won't  have  time  to 
get  their  dinner." 

"I  wonder  if  Gus  Plum  and  his  crowd  met  them 
on  the  road,"  said  Sam.  "They  were  out  on  their 
wheels." 

"I'll  ask  them,"  said  Shadow,  and  ran  off  to  do 
so.  He  met  Nat  Poole  at  the  doorway  to  the 
Hall. 

"Say,  Nat,  did  you  see  anything  of  Dave  Porter 
and  Paul  Babcock  when  you  were  out  on  your 
wheel?"  he  asked. 

Nat  Poole  started  at  the  direct  question  and  his 
face  changed  color.     But  he  quickly  recovered. 

"No,  I  didn't  see  them,"  he  answered.  "What 
makes  you  ask?" 

134 


OFF  FOR  THE  GAME  135 

"They  are  missing  and  I  know  you  were  out  on 
your  wheel  and  they  went  out  too — over  to  Lee- 
ton." 

"We  went  to  Oakdale,"  said  Nat,  and  turned 
away,  for  fear  of  being  questioned  further.  He, 
Plum,  and  Jasniff  had  arranged  it  between  them 
to  say  they  had  been  to  Oakdale  and  nowhere 
else. 

Shadow  Hamilton  returned  to  his  friends  and 
related  what  Poole  had  said.  Some  of  the  students 
had  already  departed  for  the  football  field,  going 
on  their  wheels  and  in  one  of  the  carriages  belong- 
ing to  the  place.  The  football  club  was  to  take 
the  carryall,  and  turnouts  had  been  engaged  for  all 
who  were  to  witness  the  game. 

Soon  Andrew  Dale  came  out  to  see  if  the  team 
was  ready.  He  was  greatly  surprised  when  he 
learned  that  Dave  and  Paul  were  missing. 

"It  may  be  they  have  been  delayed,"  said  he, 
"and  if  that  is  so,  they  may  have  gone  direct  from 
Leeton  to  the  Mongrace  estate.  I  think  there  is  a 
fairly  good  road." 

"Perhaps  that  is  so,"  answered  the  senator's  son, 
brightening  a  little.  "But  they  ought  to  have 
come  here — they  knew  I  should  be  worried." 

"You  had  better  take  their  suits  along.  We 
can  leave  word  here  about  the  suits — in  case  they 
come  after  we  are  gone." 

Swiftly  the  minutes  went  by  until  the  club  could 


136    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

wait  no  longer.  Then  into  the  carryall  they  piled, 
regulars  and  substitutes,  taking  the  outfits  of  the 
missing  players  with  them.  Jackson  Lemond  was 
to  drive,  and  with  a  crack  of  the  whip  they  were 
off.  Usually  the  boys  would  have  been  noisy  and 
full  of  fun,  but  now  they  were  sober. 

"Paul  told  me  he  would  surely  be  back,"  said 
Henshaw.  "I  am  afraid  something  has  happened 
to  him." 

"Maybe  they  got  a  tumble,"  suggested  Buster 
Beggs.  "But  it  would  be  queer  if  they  both  got 
caught  at  the  same  time." 

The  boys  had  brought  their  horns  and  rattles 
with  them,  yet  they  made  little  noise  as  they  rode 
along,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Jackson  Lemond, 
who  had  been  afraid  they  would  scare  the  horses 
and  cause  them  to  bolt.  Yet  the  Hall  driver  was 
sorry  to  see  them  so  blue. 

"Ain't  feelin'  much  like  playin',  I  take  it,"  he  ob- 
served. 

"It  is  not  that,  Horsehair,"  answered  Roger. 
"We  are  alarmed  over  the  absence  of  Dave  Porter 
and  Paul  Babcock." 

"Got  to  have  'em  to  play,  eh?" 

"Well,  they  belong  on  the  regular  eleven." 

"Maybe  they  went  ahead,"  said  the  Hall  driver, 
hopefully. 

The  roads  were  in  good  condition,  and  soon  they 
reached  the  broad  highway  leading  directly  to  the 


OFF  FOR  THE  GAME  137 

Mongrace  estate.  On  this  road  they  met  a  score 
of  turnouts  all  bound  for  the  football  field. 

"Hurrah!     There  are  the  Oak  Hall  fellows  1" 

"Hope  you  win,  boys!" 

"You've  got  to  put  up  a  stiff  game  if  you  want  to 
come  out  ahead  this  season.  Rockville  has  got  a 
dandy  team." 

So  the  cries  ran  on,  while  horns  were  blown  and 
rattles  used.  Then  a  big  stage  lumbered  up, 
carrying  a  number  of  students  from  Rockville  in 
their  natty  military  uniforms. 

"This  is  the  time  we'll  wax  you!" 

"After  this  game  Oak  Hall  won't  be  in  it!" 

"Bet  you  two  to  one  we  beat  you !" 

"Bet  your  small  change  on  that,  or  you'll  be  a 
beggar!"  cried  one  of  the  Oak  Hall  boys  in  re- 
turn. 

"We'll  race  you  to  the  grounds !"  said  a  Rock- 
ville student.  "Get  up  there!"  he  cried  to  the 
horses  pulling  the  stage.  The  whip  was  used  and 
the  turnout  bounded  ahead. 

"Here,  this  won't  do,  Horsehair!"  cried  Phil. 
"We  can't  let  them  beat  us  on  the  road  like  this. 
Start  up  the  team." 

Now,  if  there  was  one  thing  that  Lemond  took 
pride  in,  it  was  his  horses,  and  seldom  was  it  that 
he  allowed  anybody  to  pass  him  on  the  road.  Dr. 
Clay  kept  good  animals,  and  Horsehair  saw  to  it 
that  they  were  always  in  the  best  of  condition. 


138     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Moreover,  he  and  the  driver  for  Rockville  were  as 
bitter  rivals  as  the  students  themselves. 

"Ain't  goin'  to  pass  us  to-day!"  said  he,  setting 
his  teeth.  "Git  up!"  and  he  snapped  his  whip  in 
a  manner  that  meant  business. 

The  horses  understood,  and  in  a  moment  more 
a  race  was  on  in  earnest.  Stage  and  carryall 
streaked  down  the  broad  road  side  by  side,  all  of 
the  students  shrieking  themselves  hoarse. 

"Go  it,  Horsehair !      Don't  let  them  beat  us !" 

"Send  'em  ahead,  Jerry!  We  can't  take  the 
dust  of  Oak  Hall!" 

Faster  and  faster  went  stage  and  carryall  and 
now  the  two  drivers  settled  down  to  the  race  in 
earnest.  Then  came  a  turn  and  the  Oak  Hall 
turnout  shot  ahead. 

"Good  for  you,  Horsehair!"  yelled  Phil. 
"Keep  it  up!" 

"Catch  him,  Jerry,  catch  him!"  came  from  be- 
hind. 

"You  can't  catch  us  to-day!"  flung  back  Buster 
Beggs.  "Good-by!  We'll  tell  'em  you  are  com- 
ing !"  Then  the  carryall  swept  up  to  some  private 
carriages,  passed  them,  and  left  the  Rockville  stage 
in  the  dust  of  the  road  behind. 

The  little  brush  served  to  brighten  up  Roger 
and  his  companions,  and  as  they  drew  close  to  the 
football  field  they  blew  their  horns  and  sounded 
their  rattles.     When  they  swept  into  the  grounds 


OFF  FOR  THE  GAME  139 

they  were  greeted  with  cheers,  and  Oak  Hall  flags 
were  waved  everywhere. 

It  was  certainly  a  fine  football  field,  as  level  as  a 
house  floor  and  well  roped  off.  To  one  side  was  a 
neat  grand  stand,  painted  green  and  white,  and 
decorated  with  flags  and  bunting.  At  the  far  end 
of  the  field  was  a  big  tent,  where  the  refreshments 
were  to  be  served,  and  opposite  the  grand  stand 
was  a  special  inclosure  for  any  outsiders  who  cared 
to  witness  the  contest.  Each  school  was  well 
represented  by  its  followers,  and  there  were  fully  a 
thousand  spectators  in  addition. 

"We  couldn't  have  a  nicer  day  nor  a  better 
crowd,"  remarked  Phil,  as  he  gazed  around. 

"Do  you  see  anything  of  Dave  and  Paul?"  ques- 
tioned Roger,  anxiously. 

All  looked  around  quickly  and  then  hurried  to 
the  dressing  room  under  the  grand  stand.  Not  a 
sign  of  the  missing  players  was  to  be  seen  any- 
where. 

"We've  got  fifteen  minutes  yet,"  said  Roger. 
"They  may  show  up  at  any  minute." 

"Are  all  the  Rockville  players  here?"  asked  Ben. 

"Yes,  and  they  look  as  if  they  meant  business, 
too,"  answered  Buster  Beggs. 

The  grand  stand  had  been  divided  into  three 
parts,  the  middle  for  the  owner  of  the  estate  and  his 
special  friends,  and  either  end  for  the  two  schools. 
In  the  best  position  on  the   stand  was   the  sick 


140     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

brother  of  the  owner  of  the  estate,  propped  up  in 
an  invalid's  chair.  His  face  wore  a  smile,  as  if  he 
enjoyed  everything  that  was  going  on. 

In  an  extreme  corner  of  the  Oak  Hall  end  of  the 
stand  sat  Gus  Plum,  Nat  Poole,  and  Nick  Jasniff. 
They  were  awaiting  the  outcome  of  the  game  with 
deep  interest,  although  sure  that  their  school  would 
lose.  Through  a  friend  in  Oakdale  they  had 
placed  practically  all  their  spending  money  on  bets 
in  favor  of  Rockville, — in  fact  Gus  Plum  had  gone 
into  debt  twenty  dollars,  borrowing  the  amount 
from  a  student  named  Chadworth. 

"Say,  are  you  sure  you  fixed  Henshaw?"  whis- 
pered the  bully  of  the  Hall  to  Jasniff.  "He 
doesn't  look  to  be  very  sick  or  dizzy-headed." 

"Oh,  I  fixed  him  right  enough,"  returned  Nick 
Jasniff.  "Maybe  the  stuff  hasn't  had  time  to 
work." 

"Or  maybe  you  didn't  give  him  enough,"  com- 
mented Nat  Poole. 

"I  gave  him  the  dose  called  for.  Of  course  I 
didn't  dare  to  give  him  too  much." 

"I  don't  see  anything  of  Porter  or  Babcock," 
went  on  Poole,  with  a  side  wink  at  his  cronies. 

"No,  it's  funny  where  they  are,"  answered  Gus 
Plum,  in  a  loud  voice. 

"Maybe  they  got  afraid  to  play,"  added  Jasniff, 
in  an  equally  loud  tone. 

It  soon  became  noised  around  that  Dave  and 


OFF  FOR  THE  GAME  141 

Paul  had  failed  to  show  themselves,  and  Dr.  Clay 
himself  came  from  the  grand  stand  to  see  about  it. 
But  nobody  could  give  him  any  information. 

"Something  must  have  happened  to  detain 
them,"  said  the  owner  of  the  Hall.  "They  would 
certainly  get  here  if  they  could." 

At  last  it  was  time  to  go  out  on  the  field  for 
practice.  Henshaw  was  put  in  Babcock's  place, 
as  he  was  able  to  play  the  position  almost  as  well 
as  anybody,  and  a  lad  named  Farrell  took  the  posi- 
tion reserved  for  Dave. 

"There  goes  Henshaw  out,"  said  Nat  Poole,  in 
a  low  voice.     "He  seems  to  be  all  right." 

"Why  shouldn't  he  be  all  right?"  demanded  a 
student  sitting  behind  the  speaker. 

"I  wasn't  talking  to  you,  Dodd." 

"Well,  why  shouldn't  Henshaw  be  all  right?" 
insisted  Dodd. 

"Why, — er — somebody  said  he  wasn't  feeling 
well,  that's  all,"  stammered  Nat  Poole. 

"He  told  me  he  was  feeling  bang-up." 

"That  so?  Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  said 
Poole,  weakly. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Henshaw  was  feeling  just  a 
bit  faint  and  dizzy,  the  drug  not  having  had  time 
to  have  its  full  effect.  Luckily  the  lad  was  strong 
and  with  a  good  heart  action,  so  he  was  bound  to 
suffer  less  than  had  he  been  otherwise. 

There  was  a  cheer  for  the  Oak  Hall  players  and 


142     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

another  cheer  when  the  Rockville  eleven  appeared 
on  the  field.  The  practice  of  each  team  was 
snappy  and  vigorous  and  brought  forth  applause. 

The  umpire  and  the  referee  were  college  men, 
chosen  by  Mr.  Dale  and  a  teacher  from  Rockville, 
and  the  linesmen  were  others  acceptable  all  around. 
The  practice  over,  there  was  a  five  minutes'  inter- 
mission. 

"Dave  and  Babcock  are  not  here  yet,"  sighed 
Phil,  "I  declare,  it's  too  bad!  If  we  have  many 
accidents  on  the  field  we'll  be  more  than  short- 
handed." 

"They  wouldn't  stay  away  of  their  own  ac- 
cord," said  Roger.  "Something  is  wrong — I'm 
dead  sure  of  it." 

It  had  been  decided  that  the  two  halves  of  the 
game  should  be  of  thirty  minutes  each,  with  an 
intermission  of  ten  minutes.  Roger,  Phil,  Ben, 
and  Buster  Beggs  occupied  the  positions  they  had 
filled  the  season  previous,  and  the  others  of  the 
eleven  were  placed  to  the  best  advantage.  The 
center  and  the  right  guard  were  a  little  weak,  but 
this  could  not  be  helped.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Rockville  eleven  appeared  to  be  exceptionally  well 
balanced. 

"Time  to  play!"  cried  Phil,  presently,  and  the 
eleven  at  once  took  their  positions.  Then  the 
Rockville  men  came  on  the  field  once  more;  and  a 
minute  later  the  great  game  started. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE   GREAT   FOOTBALL  GAME 

At  the  best  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  describe  all 
the  plays  made  in  a  fast  and  snappy  football  game, 
and  I  shall  not  attempt  to  do  so.  From  the  very 
outset  Rockville  Academy  demonstrated  the  fact 
that  they  had  come  to  win  or  die  trying,  and  they 
were  alert  to  a  degree  that  brought  forth  admira- 
tion even  from  their  enemies. 

The  toss-up  was  won  by  Rockville,  and  the  cen- 
ter kicked  off  amid  a  breathless  silence.  The 
leather  sailed  in  Sam  Day's  direction  and  he  caught 
it  and  brought  it  back  twelve  yards.  Ben  Bass- 
wood  was  called  to  kick  and  sent  it  off  to  the  forty- 
five-yard  line.  It  was  caught,  but  lost  to  Phil 
Lawrence,  who  managed  to  tear  around  the  end 
for  five  yards.  Then  followed  a  mix-up,  and  the 
ball  went  back  and  forth  four  times,  when  it  went 
out  of  bounds  and  brought  a  loss  to  Rockville  of 
two  yards. 

The  whole  crowd  by  this  time  was  wild  with  ex- 
citement, and  every  advance  by  one  side  or  the 
other  was  hailed  with  cheers,  the  tooting  of  horns, 
and  the  swinging  of  rattles. 

143 


144    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Phew!  but  this  is  hard  work,  sure  enough," 
whispered  Phil  to  Roger.  "They  are  pushing 
things  for  all  they  are  worth." 

"I  believe  they  think  they  can  wind  us,"  an- 
swered the  senator's  son. 

The  ball  was  put  into  play  a  few  seconds  later. 
"Twelve,  twenty-six,  fifty!"  was  the  signal,  and  it 
passed  rapidly  from  one  Rockville  player  to  an- 
other. Then  came  a  sensational  run  of  twenty 
yards,  the  tackle  with  the  ball  rushing  Oak  Hall's 
left  end.  But  the  fullback  was  after  him  and 
brought  him  down  just  as  it  looked  as  if  Rockville 
might  score  a  touchdown. 

"Say,  look  at  that  run!" 

"I  thought  he  was  going  to  make  it,  sure!" 

"So  did  I!" 

"They'll  get  it  anyway,  see  if  they  don't!" 

So  the  cries  ran  on  as  the  two  elevens  lined  up 
for  the  next  scrimmage.  The  first  half  was  now 
eighteen  minutes  old,  and  exactly  two  minutes  later, 
despite  the  best  efforts  of  Oak  Hall,  the  leather 
was  forced  over  the  line  by  the  military  academy 
boys. 

"Hurrah!     A  touchdown  for  Rockville!" 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it!" 

And  then  the  crowd  cheered  harder  than  ever — 
that  is,  those  who  sympathized  with  the  military 
academy.  Oak  Hall  and  its  supporters  sat  silent, 
and  a  few  shook  their  heads  and  sighed. 


THE  GREAT  FOOBALL  GAME         145 

"Didn't  I  tell  you?"  whispered  Nick  Jasniff,  to 
Plum  and  Poole.  "There's  the  first  dose.  That 
money  is  as  good  as  won  I" 

"It  suits  me  right  enough,"  answered  the  bully 
of  Oak  Hall.  He  did  not  add  that  he  was  very 
low  on  cash  and  that  his  father  had  written,  stating 
that  he  could  not  supply  Gus  with  any  more  spend- 
ing money  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

As  soon  as  the  touchdown  was  made  the  leather 
was  hurried  to  the  field  for  a  kick.  It  sailed 
directly  between  the  goal  posts,  and  at  this  another 
yell  went  up. 

"Six  points  for  Rockville!  That's  the  way  to 
doit!" 

"Now  then  for  another,  fellows!  Show  'em 
that  is  only  a  starter !" 

With  eight  more  minutes  of  the  first  half  left  the 
ball  was  put  into  play  and  once  more  it  was  sent 
back  and  forth.  Once  Roger  made  a  clever  run  of 
fifteen  yards  and  at  another  time,  when  a  Rock- 
ville player  made  a  fumble,  Phil  snatched  the  ball, 
sent  it  to  Ben,  who  turned  it  over  to  Henshaw. 
With  the  leather  in  his  arm  Henshaw  made  a  brave 
attempt  for  a  touchdown,  but  was  stopped  on  the 
thirty-yard  line.  His  run,  however,  was  loudly 
applauded,  and  for  the  time  being  it  gave  Jasniff, 
Plum,  and  Poole  a  chill. 

"Phew!"  muttered  Plum.  "I  thought  he  was 
going  straight  over !" 


146    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"He's  the  best  player  they've  got,"  whispered 
Jasniff.  "I  can't  understand  why  that  drug  doesn't 
work." 

But  the  drug  was  working,  and  it  was  that  which 
prevented  Henshaw  from  making  the  touchdown 
after  covering  twenty  yards.  He  was  growing 
more  dizzy  each  moment. 

"I  must  be  getting  the  blind  staggers,"  he  said 
to  Roger.  "Everything  seems  to  be  swimming  in 
front  of  my  eyes." 

"Maybe  you  ran  too  hard,"  suggested  the  sena- 
tor's son. 

"No,  I've  been  feeling  that  way  for  the  past  five 
minutes.  I  don't  know  what's  the  matter  with 
me. 

"Do  you  want  to  quit?" 

"Oh,  I'll  try  to  play  the  half  out,"  answered 
Henshaw. 

With  the  ball  on  the  thirty-yard  line,  Oak  Hall 
fought  as  never  before  to  carry  the  leather  on.  It 
did  go  down  to  the  twenty-yard  line,  but  only  to  be 
lost  on  a  fumble,  after  which  a  succession  of  bril- 
liant rushes  and  end  runs  by  Rockville  brought  it 
within  striking  distance  of  Oak  Hall's  goal  line, 
when  a  drop  kick  sent  it  once  more  between  the 
posts. 

"Will  you  look  at  that!" 

"A  goal  from  the  field!  That  gives  Rockville 
10  points!" 


THE  GREAT  FOOBALL  GAME  147 

The  cheering  and  the  general  din  were  tremen- 
dous. Oak  Hall  had  nothing  to  say.  Plum  and 
his  cronies  chuckled  to  themselves. 

"Rockville  is  rubbing  it  in,  eh?"  chuckled  Nick 
Jasniff.     "I  hope  they  make  it  about  50  to  o !" 

"So  do  I,"  answered  Nat  Poole. 

Once  more  the  ball  went  into  play,  and  this  time 
Oak  Hall  sent  it  into  the  Rockville  territory  in  a 
grim,  stone-wall  way  that  could  not  be  resisted. 
But  when  it  lacked  still  ten  yards  of  the  goal  line, 
the  whistle  blew,  telling  that  time  was  up  and  the 
first  half  of  the  game  had  come  to  an  end. 

"Hard  luck  to-day,"  said  Phil,  grimly.  "They 
are  certainly  putting  up  a  great  game." 

"They  have  more  weight  than  we  have,"  an- 
swered Shadow.  "And  I  must  say,  their  tackling 
is  first-class." 

"I  think  it  is  rough,"  said  Buster  Beggs.  "I  got 
a  kick  in  the  shin  that  wasn't  pleasant." 

"That  Hausermann  is  rather  rough,"  said  Phil. 
"I'd  hate  to  have  him  come  down  on  me." 

"Yes,  and  he  plays  off-side,"  said  Roger.  "I 
had  to  warn  him  twice,  and  the  referee  warned  him 
too." 

Poor  Henshaw  was  now  so  dizzy  he  could 
scarcely  stand  and  two  of  the  other  players  had  to 
escort  him  off  the  field.  Andrew  Dale  questioned 
the  youth  closely. 

"You  didn't  eat  or  drink  anything  unusual?" 


148     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Not  that  I  know  of,  sir." 

"Did  you  ever  feel  that  way  before  when 
playing?" 

"No,  sir,  it  never  affected  me  in  the  least." 

"It  is  odd.  I  will  call  Dr.  Blarcom,  who  is 
present." 

The  doctor  came  up  and  made  a  close  examina- 
tion. He  was  much  puzzled.  He  also  asked 
Henshaw  about  his  eating  and  drinking.  Then, 
when  the  lad  complained  of  feeling  sick  at  the 
stomach,  he  gave  him  an  emetic. 

"He  has  certainly  swallowed  something  that 
hasn't  agreed  with  him,"  said  the  physician,  and 
took  Henshaw  to  the  Mongrace  mansion,  where  he 
might  give  the  sick  student  every  attention. 

With  Henshaw,  Babcock,  and  Dave  out  of  the 
game,  Roger  hardly  knew  what  to  do  for  players. 
The  lad  who  had  taken  Dave's  place  was  only  an 
ordinary  player,  and  to  put  another  ordinary  player 
in  place  of  Henshaw  would  be  to  weaken  the  eleven 
greatly. 

"It  certainly  looks  like  a  walk-over  for  Rock- 
ville,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "I  can't  understand 
what  is  keeping  Dave  and  Paul  away." 

But  four  minutes  of  the  intermission  had  passed 
when  there  came  a  sudden  shout  from  outside  of 
the  grand-stand  dressing  rooms.  Then  with  a 
whirr  a  big  red  automobile  dashed  up  and  two 
dusty-looking  youths  leaped  out. 


THE  GREAT  FOOBALL  GAME  149 

"Dave  and  Paul!"  ejaculated  Phil,  joyously. 
"Where  in  the  world  have  you  been?" 

"Is  the  game  over?"  asked  Dave,  anxiously. 

"The  first  half  is." 

"What's  the  score?"  questioned  Babcock, 
quickly. 

"10  to  o  against  us." 

"Is  that  so!" 

"But  where  have  you  been?"  demanded  Roger, 
and  added,  almost  in  the  same  breath:  "Can  you 
play?" 

"Certainly  we  can  play — that  is  what  we  are 
here  for,"  returned  Dave.  "Will  somebody  lend 
me  a  football  suit?" 

"We  have  your  suits  here,"  said  Shadow,  and 
brought  them  forth.     "Climb  right  in." 

Dave  and  Babcock  did  "climb  in,"  and  while 
doing  so  briefly  related  their  adventures. 

"When  the  old  wagon  went  to  smash  we  thought 
we  were  surely  out  of  the  game,"  said  Dave.  "But 
a  few  minutes  later  a  man  came  along  in  that  auto- 
mobile, and  we  stopped  him  and  got  him  to  promise 
to  bring  us  here.  We  would  have  gotten  here  in 
time  for  the  first  half  only  something  got  the  mat- 
ter with  the  auto's  batteries." 

"Dave,  some  enemies  played  that  trick,"  said 
Phil. 

"No  doubt  of  it." 

"They  wanted  us  to  lose  the  game." 


150    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Of  course,"  said  Babcock. 

"Do  you  suspect  any  of  the  Rockville  fellows?" 

"Not  yet.  I  am  going  to  investigate  after  this 
game  is  over." 

"And  I  am  going  to  investigate,  too,"  added 
Dave.     "Why,  we  might  have  been  killed!" 

The  youth  who  had  taken  Dave's  place  on  the 
eleven  was  perfectly  willing  to  retire,  feeling  that 
Oak  Hall  was  going  to  lose  anyway.  Babcock 
took  his  old  place. 

"I  am  sorry  for  Spud,"  he  said,  referring  to 
Henshaw.  "It  appears  to  me  that  something  is 
wrong  all  around." 

With  the  appearance  of  Dave  and  Babcock  the 
spirits  of  Roger,  Phil,  and  the  others  arose  won- 
derfully. 

"Now,  boys,  play  for  all  you  are  worth,"  said 
the  senator's  son.  "Make  every  scrimmage  count, 
and  if  you  get  hold  of  the  ball  run  like  all-pos- 
sessed. We  must  get  something  this  half,  or  we'll 
never  hear  the  end  of  it." 

"It  will  certainly  make  Gus  Plum  and  his  cronies 
crow,"  answered  Dave,  grimly.  "I  suppose  they 
are  here?" 

"Yes,  in  a  corner  of  the  stand,"  answered  Buster 
Beggs. 

"They  were  out  on  their  wheels  this  morn- 
ing," said  Sam  Day.  "Did  you  see  anything  of 
them?" 


THE  GREAT  FOOBALL  GAME  151 

"They  were  out?"  repeated  Dave,  in  surprise. 
"Did  they  follow  us?" 

"They  said  they  went  to  Oakdale." 

Dave  looked  at  Paul  Babcock,  who  pursed  up 
his  lips  meditatively. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that,  Paul?" 

"I  think  it  will  stand  investigation,"  answered 
Babcock.  "Somebody  played  us  the  trick,  and  it 
certainly  wasn't  a  friend." 

"Last  year  Plum  and  Poole  were  against  us." 

At  that  moment  came  a  call  from  the  doorway 
of  the  dressing  room. 

"Time  for  the  second  half,  boys.  Come  out  on 
the  field." 

It  had  become  noised  around  that  Dave  and 
Babcock  had  arrived.  A  number  believed  this, 
but  others  did  not. 

"Do  you  think  it  is  true?"  demanded  Plum  of 
Jasniff. 

"I  don't  see  how  it  can  be,"  whispered  Jasniff  in 
return.  "They  must  have  been  carried  miles" and 
miles  on  that  freight  train." 

"Oh,  it's  only  talk,"  grumbled  Nat  Poole. 

The  eleven  were  now  pouring  into  the  field. 
Among  the  first  to  show  themselves  were  Dave  and 
Paul,  and  a  roar  of  welcome  went  up  from  the  Oak 
Hall  supporters. 

"There  are  Porter  and  Babcock!" 

"Now  for  some  real  playing!" 


152     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Where  in  the  world  have  they  been?" 

"They  are  here,  sure  enough!"  whispered  Gus 
Plum,  hoarsely.     "Nick,  what  can  it  mean?" 

"Don't  ask  me,"  growled  Jasniff.  "It  beats 
anything  I  ever  heard  of !" 

As  soon  as  they  came  on  the  field  Dave  and  Bab- 
cock  reported  to  the  referee,  as  substitutes  for  the 
two  players  that  had  dropped  out.  Then  the 
whistle  blew,  and  the  second  half  of  the  great  game 
was  on. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HOW  THE  GAME   ENDED 

There  was  another  spell  of  breathless  silence  as 
the  ball  went  into  play  on  the  second  half  of  the 
great  game.  The  kick-off  was  clean  and  clever, 
and  for  several  minutes  the  leather  remained  close 
to  the  center  of  the  field,  each  eleven  struggling 
desperately  to  force  the  line  of  the  other.  Rock- 
ville  had  had  one  man  slightly  hurt  and  another 
player  had  taken  his  place,  one  who  was  light  and 
very  wiry.  He  took  the  ball  for  a  run  around  the 
left  end,  but  was  brought  down.  Then  in  the 
scrimmage  that  followed  the  ball  came  to  Dave 
and  he  made  a  gain  of  ten  yards,  breaking  through 
and  dodging  in  a  manner  that  brought  forth  much 
favorable  comment. 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it,"  was  the  cry.  "Carry 
it  over  the  line!" 

But  alas!  for  the  hopes  of  Oak  Hall.  In  the 
very  next  mix-up  Buster  Beggs  made  a  bad  fumble 
and  the  wiry  substitute  on  the  Rockville  eleven  se- 
cured the  leather.      Before  anybody  could  stop 

153 


154     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

him  he  made  a  sensational  run  to  the  end  of  the 
field. 

"Another  touchdown  for  Rockville!" 

How  the  supporters  of  the  military  academy  did 
cheer  and  yell !  Horns  tooted  madly  and  the 
academy  colors  went  waving  in  all  directions. 

Gus  Plum  grinned  silently,  while  Nick  Jasniff 
winked  at  him. 

"Say,  we're  all  right,  after  all,  eh?"  whispered 
Nat  Poole. 

"Hush !"  muttered  the  bully  of  the  school.  "If 
our  fellows  should  hear  you  they'd  kill  us !  This 
defeat  will  make  them  ugly." 

The  touchdown  was  turned  into  a  goal,  giving 
Rockville  1 6  points  as  against  o  for  Oak  Hall. 
Things  certainly  did  look  blue. 

"Come,  fellows,  we've  got  to  do  something!" 
urged  Roger.  "Everybody  play  for  all  he  is 
worth.     Don't  let  a  single  chance  escape  you !" 

"I  am  going  to  do  something  if  I  die  for  it,"  said 
Babcock,  and  went  in  with  a  vigor  that  nothing 
could  resist.  Inside  of  two  minutes  he  secured  the 
ball,  dove  to  the  left,  turned,  and  started  for  the 
right.  Two  Rockville  players  tackled  him,  but 
Dave  and  Buster  Beggs  came  between  and  Babcock 
went  on.  Then  Roger  took  a  hand,  and  in  the 
struggle  the  ball  went  over  the  Rockville  line  amid 
a  yelling  from  Oak  Hall  that  could  have  been 
heard  half  a  mile. 


Like  a  living-  wedge  Oak  Hall  struck  against  Rockville. 
Page  155. 


HOW  THE  GAME  ENDED  155 

"A  touchdown  for  Oak  Hall!" 

"Now  wake  up,  boys,  and  show  'em  what  you 
can  do!" 

Dave  held  the  ball  and  Roger  made  the  kick. 
The  ball  went  through  the  posts  fairly,  scoring  6 
points  for  the  Hall.     Again  came  a  cheer. 

"Well,  it's  only  6  to  16,"  whispered  Nat  Poole. 

"How  much  longer  to  play?"  asked  Plum. 

"Fourteen  minutes." 

The  six  points  gained  put  increased  vigor  into 
Oak  Hall,  and  now  Roger  gave  the  signal  for  a 
certain  mass  play  which  had  as  yet  not  been  tried. 
Like  a  living  wedge  Oak  Hall  struck  against  Rock- 
ville,  and  although  the  academy  eleven  carried 
more  weight  they  could  not  withstand  such  an  on- 
slaught. They  separated,  and  in  a  twinkling  the 
leather  was  carried  up  the  field  and  across  the  line 
a  second  time,  within  three  minutes  after  the  first 
touchdown  was  secured. 

"Whoop!     Hurrah!     Look  at  that!" 

"Another  touchdown  !      Keep  it  up,  fellows!" 

"Oak  Hall  has  struck  her  gait  at  last!" 

And  then  the  Oak  Hall  colors  were  waved 
wildly,  while  horns  tooted  and  rattles  were  swung 
on  every  side.  It  was  now  Rockville's  turn  to  re- 
main silent. 

"Be  careful,  fellows,  don't  get  excited,"  warned 
Roger.     "Watch  your  chances." 

The  goal  was  kicked,  making  the  score,  Rock- 


156     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

ville  1 6,  Oak  Hall  12.  There  were  but  eight 
minutes  more  in  which  to  play.  Once  again  the 
leather  came  into  the  field.  Rockville  was  now  on 
guard  against  another  mass  play  and  it  was  decided 
to  try  the  left  end.  The  ball  went  to  Ben,  who 
passed  it  to  Dave.  Dave  made  a  short  run  and 
doubled,  as  if  turning  back.  Then  he  plunged 
forward,  hurdled  (it  was  the  old  style  of  playing) , 
and  tore  up  the  field  for  twenty  yards.  Then  he 
was  brought  to  earth  with  a  thud  that  made  his 
ears  ring  and  caused  him  to  see  stars. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Dave?"  he  heard  Roger  ask, 
and  sitting  up  he  shook  his  head.  Time  had  been 
called,  and  he  learned  that  for  two  minutes  he  had 
been  dead  to  the  world. 

"I — I  guess  I  am  all  right,"  he  said,  and  with  a 
mighty  effort  pulled  himself  together.  "Did — did 
I  gain  anything?" 

"Did  you  gain  anything?  Well,  rather!"  an- 
swered Phil.     "It  was  a  dandy  play!" 

Again  the  ball  was  put  into  play,  and  it  went 
back  and  forth  in  a  manner  that  was  heartbreak- 
ing, first  for  one  side  and  then  for  the  other.  Then 
came  a  warning  cry: 

"Three  minutes  more  to  play!" 

It  nerved  all  of  the  players  up  as  never  before 
and  the  struggle  was  the  most  bitter  yet.  But 
with  less  than  a  minute  and  a  half  to  play  Dave  se- 
cured the  ball  and  made  a  clever  pass  to  Phil,  who 


HOW  THE  GAME  ENDED  157 

started  up  the  field.  Babcock  guarded  him  on  one 
side  and  Roger  on  the  other,  and  in  a  trice  another 
sensational  run  was  on. 

"Down  him!  Down  him!"  was  the  frantic 
yell  from  Rockville,  and  just  as  Phil,  panting  for 
breath,  reached  the  goal-line  he  was  caught  and 
thrown  with  tremendous  violence,  his  head  striking 
the  ground  with  great  force. 

"Another  touchdown!" 

"Oak  Hall  wins  the  game!" 

It  was  true,  the  touchdown  had  been  made,  fairly 
and  squarely.  With  drooping  hearts  Rockville 
came  out  of  the  mix-up.  There  was  nothing  more 
to  be  done,  for  all  but  quarter  of  a  minute  of  the 
time  was  up.  Phil  lay  on  the  ball  motionless,  his 
face  buried  in  the  grass. 

"He's  hurt!"  cried  Dave,  bending  over  his 
chum.     "Phil!" 

There  was  no  answer,  and  now  Roger  and  some 
others  came  to  the  aid  of  the  fallen  one.  They 
turned  Phil  over.  His  face  was  pale  and  his  eyes 
closed.     He  made  not  the  slightest  sound. 

"Call  the  doctor!"  said  Dave,  in  as  steady  a 
voice  as  he  could  command.  "I — I  hope  he  isn't 
hurt  very  much." 

Water  was  brought  and  Phil's  face  was  bathed, 
but  still  he  made  no  sound  nor  did  he  open  his  eyes. 
Then  the  doctor  came  up  and  took  charge. 

"He   has   received   a   severe   shock,"   said   the 


158     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

physician,  after  an  examination.  "As  yet  I  cannot 
tell  how  badly  he  is  affected.  His  head  is  bleed- 
ing, and  it  is  possible  he  may  have  fractured  his 
skull.     We  had  best  remove  him  to  the  house." 

A  barn  door  was  procured  and  a  blanket  thrown 
over  it,  and  on  this  the  hurt  student  was  placed  and 
six  others  carried  him  to  the  mansion.  In  the 
meantime  there  had  been  a  great  cheering  over 
Oak  Hall's  victory,  but  this  soon  came  to  an  end 
when  it  was  known  that  Phil  Lawrence  had  been 
seriously  hurt. 

"I  hope  his  skull  hasn't  been  fractured,"  said 
Dave.  "He  certainly  came  down  hard.  I  heard 
the  thump  plainly." 

"So  did  I,"  answered  Babcock,  and  then  he  ran 
off  to  see  how  Henshaw  was  faring.  He  found 
the  latter  sitting  up  in  an  easy-chair,  as  pale  as 
death  itself. 

"Won  out,  eh?"  said  Henshaw,  weakly.  "Good 
enough !" 

"How  do  you  feel  now?"  questioned  Babcock. 

"Oh,  my  stomach  is  better  and  the  dizziness  is 
gone.    But  I  am  as  weak  as  a  rag." 

Through  an  attendant  Henshaw  had  heard  of 
the  arrival  of  Dave  and  Babcock  and  of  the 
progress  of  the  great  game.  He  was  shocked  to 
learn  that  Phil  had  been  seriously  hurt. 

"This  will  put  a  damper  on  the  celebration," 
said  he,  and  he  was  right.     Only  a  few  cared  to 


HOW  THE  GAME  ENDED  159 

celebrate  with  Phil,  for  all  they  knew,  lying  at 
death's  door.  The  sufferer  was  still  unconscious, 
and  a  messenger  had  been  sent  off  for  another 
physician  who  was  also  a  surgeon. 

"This  takes  the  edge  off  the  victory,"  said 
Dave.  "I'd  rather  lose  than  have  anybody  seri- 
ously hurt." 

"Morr,  we  are  mighty  sorry  for  this,"  said  the 
captain  of  the  Rockville  eleven,  coming  up.  "I 
am  sure  you  know  it  wasn't  done  intentionally." 

"I  know  that,"  answered  Roger.  "But  the  play 
was  pretty  rough,  especially  towards  the  end." 

"It  was  a  fair  tackle,"  said  the  Rockville  cap- 
tain, and  moved  off. 

Those  from  the  military  academy  felt  their  de- 
feat keenly.  Just  when  they  had  thought  victory 
certain  all  their  hopes  had  been  dashed  to  the 
ground.  They  had  to  admit  that  Oak  Hall  had 
played  fairly  from  start  to  finish. 

"Boys,  you  did  splendidly,"  said  Dr.  Clay. 
"The  one  dark  spot  is  the  fact  that  Lawrence  has 
been  hurt.  I  sincerely  trust  it  does  not  prove 
serious." 

While  the  doctor  was  doing  what  he  could  for 
Phil,  the  two  schools  were  entertained  in  royal 
style  by  Mr.  Mongrace.  But  Dave  and  Roger 
could  eat  little,  their  thoughts  being  constantly 
with  Phil.  Three  others  who  did  not  enjoy  the 
feast  were  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff. 


160     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Hang  the  luck,  anyway!"  growled  the  bully,  as 
he  and  his  cronies  walked  away  from  the  table. 
"Jasniff,  this  is  the  worst  yet." 

"Who  would  have  thought  that  they  could  pull 
themselves  together  like  that,"  grumbled  Jasniff. 
"Why,  I  never  saw  such  work  on  any  field.  They 
went  at  the  play  like  demons — nothing  could  stand 
before  them." 

"Yes,  and  Phil  Lawrence  got  a  broken  head  for 
his  pains,"  said  Poole,  in  a  tone  more  of  satisfac- 
tion than  regret. 

"I  don't  care  a  continental  for  Lawrence,"  pur- 
sued the  bully  of  Oak  Hall.  "What  I  am  think- 
ing of  is  the  money  I  have  lost." 

"And  the  money  I've  lost,  too,"  added 
Poole. 

"Well,  we'll  have  to  pocket  our  losses,  that's 
all,"  answered  Jasniff.  "With  Porter,  Babcock, 
and  Henshaw  off  the  list  I  thought  we'd  make  a 
sure  thing  of  it — but  we  didn't,  and  there  you 
are. 

"I  don't  know  what  I  am  going  to  do  about  the 
money  I  put  up,"  said  Gus  Plum. 

"Write  to  your  old  man  for  some,"  suggested 
Jasniff.  "Tell  him  you  lost  your  money,  but  don't 
say  how." 

"He  won't  let  me  have  any  more  just  yet — said 
so  in  his  last  letter." 

"How  about  you,  Nat?" 


HOW  THE  GAME  ENDED  161 

"My  old  man  won't  give  up  a  cent  until  next 
allowance  day,  and  that's  two  weeks  off.  I'll  have 
to  live  on  air  till  then." 

A  little  later  Poole  was  called  away  by  one  of 
the  students,  and  Gus  Plum  and  Nick  Jasniff  were 
left  to  themselves.  Plum  was  in  a  quandary,  for 
he  had  borrowed  from  several  parties  and  now  did 
not  know  how  to  pay  the  amounts  back.  Jasniff 
noticed  his  uneasiness. 

"Don't  take  the  loss  so  hard,  Gus,"  he  said. 
"Let  us  go  off  and  have  a  smoke — it  will  settle 
your  nerves.  If  we  were  in  town  we  might  get  a 
drink.     But  we  can't  get  it  around  here." 

"Let's  go  back  to  the  Hall,  I  am  sick  of  it  here," 
answered  the  bully  of  the  school ;  and  a  few  minutes 
later  he  and  Jasniff  started  off,  leaving  Poole  be- 
hind, in  the  company  of  several  girls  who  had 
driven  in  to  witness  the  football  match.  Poole 
always  dressed  very  fastidiously,  and  sought  the 
company  of  the  girls  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered. 

Halfway  to  Oak  Hall,  Plum  and  Jasniff  de- 
termined to  ride  on  their  wheels  to  Hampton,  a 
small  village  south  of  Oakdale.  Here  they  put  up 
at  the  tavern,  and  Jasniff  spent  his  last  twenty  cents 
for  some  liquor.  Then  they  sat  down  in  the  back 
room,  to  smoke  cigarettes  and  talk  over  their 
future  plans. 

"It   don't   feel   nice   to   be   dead-broke,"   said 


162     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Jasniff.  "Wouldn't  you  like  to  earn  a  little  pile, 
Gus?" 

"How?"  questioned  the  bully  eagerly. 

"Oh, — I  don't  know  exactly,"  drawled  Jasniff, 
looking  up  at  the  ceiling.  "But  it  might  be  done, 
you  know." 

"Well,  I've  got  to  get  money  somehow,"  an- 
swered Plum,  desperately.  "I  am  not  going 
around  without  a  cent  in  my  pocket,  and  in  debt, 
too." 

"Will  you  stand  by  me  if  I  show  you  a  way  to 
get  a  little  pile?"  asked  Jasniff,  lowering  his  voice. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  answered  Plum,  boldly. 

"All  right,  then;  Til  let  you  know  what  I  can  do 
in  a  few  days.  I've  got  to  consult  somebody  else 
first,  though." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A   FUNNY    INITIATION 

The  celebration  to  follow  the  grand  victory  was 
a  rather  tame  affair  on  account  of  the  accident  to 
Phil  Lawrence.  The  ship-owner's  son  was  a  prime 
favorite  with  many  of  the  Oak  Hall  students  and 
they  asked  about  him  constantly. 

"He  cannot  be  moved  at  present,"  said  the  doc- 
tors. "He  must  remain  here."  And  after  that 
the  sufferer  was  made  as  comfortable  as  possible  in 
one  of  the  spare  chambers  of  the  mansion.  A  tele- 
gram was  at  once  sent  to  his  parents,  and  they  came 
on  the  following  morning.  Poor  Phil  was  still  un- 
conscious but  came  to  his  senses  that  evening,  and 
by  the  following  day  seemed  a  trifle  improved. 

"Oh,  I  do  hope  he  gets  over  it  entirely,"  said 
Dave  to  Roger.  "It  would  be  awful  to  think  of 
his  suffering  all  his  life." 

"That  is  true,  Dave.  I'd  rather  we  hadn't 
played  at  all." 

"And  to  think  it  came  at  the  very  end  of  the 
game,"  broke  in  Buster  Beggs. 

"It  will  stop  football  for  this  season,"  an- 
163 


164     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

nounced  Sam  Day,  and  he  was  right.  Dr.  Clay 
issued  orders  that  very  day  that  no  more  games 
should  be  played  until  it  was  certain  that  Phil  was 
out  of  danger.  Even  as  it  was,  a  number  of  the 
students  received  word  from  their  parents  and 
guardians  forbidding  their  playing  any  more. 

Dave  wrote  to  his  uncle  and  to  the  others  about 
the  game,  and  received  several  letters  in  return, 
including  one  from  Jessie  Wadsworth  which  he 
kept  to  himself  and  prized  very  highly.  In  it  the 
girl  wrote  that  she  was  glad  they  had  won  and  was 
sure  Dave  had  done  his  full  share  to  gain  the  vic- 
tory, but  she  was  sorry  to  learn  Phil  had  been  hurt 
and  that  Dave  must  be  sure  to  keep  out  of  harm. 

"We  cannot  afford  to  have  anything  happen  to 
you,"  wrote  Jessie,  "for  we  all  think  so  much  of 
you."  And  this  made  Dave's  cheeks  flush  and  his 
heart  beat  with  keenest  pleasure. 

The  letter  from  Dunston  Porter  was  also  inter- 
esting, but  one  paragraph  made  Dave's  heart  sink. 
In  this  Mr.  Porter  stated  that  as  yet  no  word  of 
any  kind  had  been  received  about  Dave's  father 
and  sister. 

"It  certainly  is  queer  you  don't  hear  from  them," 
said  Roger,  when  he  learned  of  this.  "If  they  are 
in  Europe  or  in  America  at  least  one  of  your  letters 
must  have  followed  them  up." 

"It's  a  mystery  to  me,"  answered  Dave,  and 
heaved  a  long  sigh.     He  was  more  than  impatient 


A  FUNNY  INITIATION  165 

to  meet  his  father  and  sister,  and  who  can  blame 
him? 

The  two  bicycles  belonging  to  Dave  and  Bab- 
cock  had  been  brought  in  by  a  farmer  of  that  vicin- 
ity, who  had  found  them  near  the  fallen  tree.  This 
man  was  rewarded  for  his  trouble,  and  Dave, 
Roger,  and  Babcock  went  to  the  spot  hoping  to  find 
some  clew  to  the  mystery.  They  saw  that  the  tree 
was  decayed  near  the  roots  but  that  it  had  un- 
doubtedly been  broken  off  by  force. 

"It  was  surely  the  work  of  some  enemies,"  said 
Dave.     "The  question  is,  Who  is  guilty?" 

"Perhaps  we'll  learn  some  day,"  answered  the 
senator's  son;  and  there,  for  the  time  being,  the 
subject  was  dropped. 

As  my  old  readers  know  there  was  a  secret  so- 
ciety at  Oak  Hall  known  as  the  Gee  Eyes,  this 
mysterious  appellation  standing  for  the  initials, 
G.  I.,  which  in  their  turn  stood  for  the  words, 
Guess  It.  This  society  had  its  officers  and  its  secret 
password,  and  met  "semi-occasionally  or  oftener" 
as  the  by-laws  had  it.  It  was  gotten  up  mostly  for 
fun, — the  said  fun  being  largely  due  to  the  initia- 
tion of  new  members.  Dave  had  joined  and  so 
had  his  chums,  and  they  had  aided  in  initiating  a 
number  of  others. 

For  various  reasons  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff 
were  out  of  this  society.  When  Jasniff  had 
wanted  to  join — as  a  newcomer  to  the  Hall — he 


166     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

had  been  rejected  with  scant  ceremony.  This  had 
angered  him,  and  as  a  consequence  he  and  his 
cronies,  along  with  several  other  students,  had  or- 
ganized a  new  society,  called  the  D.  D.  A.  Club, 
the  initials  standing  for  Dare  Do  Anything.  This 
was  supposed  to  meet  once  a  month,  and  all  sorts 
of  inducements  were  offered  to  get  the  other  stu- 
dents to  join. 

"I  hear  the  Gee  Eyes  are  going  to  meet  soon," 
said  Nat  Poole,  one  day  to  his  cronies.  "Ain't  it 
about  time  the  D.  D.  A.  met  too?" 

"Have  you  found  a  new  member?"  asked  Jas- 
niff. 

"Frank  Bond  wants  to  join." 

"Oh,  he's  only  a  little  fellow,"  sneered  Jas- 
niff. 

"Never  mind,  we  can  get  some  fun  out  of  him," 
said  Gus  Plum.  "I'd  like  something  to  do. 
Things  are  dead  slow." 

The  Gee  Eyes  met  the  very  next  night,  and  hear- 
ing of  this  the  D.  D.  A.  Club  did  the  same.  A 
new  student  named  Sultzer — a  German  boy — 
wanted  to  join  the  Gee  Eyes,  and  Dave  and  Ben 
Basswood  were  appointed  as  a  committee  of  two  to 
make  ready  for  the  occasion. 

"We'll  have  to  give  'em  something  brand-new," 
said  Ben. 

"That  will  not  be  so  easy — since  we  have  tried 
nearly  everything,"  answered  Dave. 


Carl  was  made  to  bow  until  his  nose  touched  the  floor. 
Page  167. 


A  FUNNY  INITIATION  167 

"They  are  building  a  new  house  over  near  the 
Grislow  place.     Can't  we  do  something  there?" 

"Maybe  we  can,"  said  Dave.  "Let  us  look  over 
the  ground." 

By  the  time  the  Gee  Eyes  met  everything  was  in 
readiness,  and  Ben  Basswood  brought  Carl  Sultzer 
to  the  meeting,  which  was  held  in  an  old  boat-house 
down  the  river.  In  the  meantime  the  other  mem- 
bers had  attired  themselves  in  cotton  robes  of  red, 
with  black  hoods  over  their  heads  and  a  yellow 
tassel  dangling  over  one  ear.  Some  had  wooden 
swords,  one  a  wooden  hammer,  and  others  stuffed 
clubs. 

As  Carl  Sultzer,  a  fat  boy  with  a  round,  ruddy 
face,  was  thrust  into  the  room,  he  was  surrounded 
and  all  present  began  to  chant : 

"Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  duddy! 

Here  he  comes  so  fat  and  ruddy! 
Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  dee! 

Stranger,  stranger!  Bend  your  knee! 
Hoopra!  hoopra!  Dilly  dud! 

Do  you  want  to  join  this  club  ? 
If  you  do,  down  to  the  ground, 

Make  to  us  a  bow  profound!'' 

As  the  chant  went  on  Carl  Sultzer  was  forced  to 
his  knees  and  was  made  to  bow  until  his  nose 
touched  the  floor. 

"Vot  is  dis  ding,  annahow?"  he  asked,  in  a 
trembling  voice.  "Is  dis  der  Chee  Eyes  Club,  I 
ton't  know?" 


1 68     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"This  is  the  renowned  Gee  Eyes  Club,"  came  in 
a  solemn  tone. 

"Wouldst  thou  join  us,  base  stranger?"  asked 
another  voice. 

"Yah,  sure,  I  choin,"  answered  Carl.  "Put  vot 
I  got  to  to  alretty?" 

"Thou  shalt  soon  see,"  was  the  answer.  "Num- 
bers Three  and  Six,  blindfold  him." 

"Look  here,  I  ton't  like  dis!"  cried  the  German 
student,  as  a  bag  was  thrown  over  his  head  and 
fastened  around  his  neck.  The  bag  had  a  hole  in 
the  back,  so  that  he  could  get  air.  But  he  could 
not  see  a  thing. 

"It  must  be  done,"  was  the  answer.  "For  par- 
ticulars see  Section  45,  rule  917  of  the  by-laws. 
Are  you  ready  to  learn  the  by-laws?" 

"Der  py-laws?  Vot  I  got  to  puy  py  der  py- 
laws?"  asked  the  German  student,  cautiously. 

"You  haven't  got  to  buy  anything.  You  must 
learn  them." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  came  in 

another  voice.     "A  man  once Oh,   excuse 

me,  I  forgot!"  And  the  story  came  to  a  sudden 
end,  as  the  speaker  received  a  whack  over  the  ear 
from  a  stuffed  club. 

"I  believe  Shadow  would  want  to  tell  a  story  if 
he  was  at  a  funeral,"  whispered  one  hooded  figure 
to  another. 

"Lo!  the  march  begins!"  cried  a  loud  voice,  in 


A  FUNNY  INITIATION  169 

Carl  Sultzer's  ear.  It  made  the  German  boy 
jump.  Then  he  was  caught  by  the  arms  and  his 
hands  were  tied  behind  him.  In  this  fashion  he 
was  marched  from  the  old  boat-house  and  in  the 
direction  of  the  new  building  previously  mentioned. 

"Vere  you  been  daking  me?"  asked  Carl. 

"Wait,  and  thou  shalt  see." 

"How  I  vos  going  to  see  of  I  got  mine  eyes 
blindfolded  alretty?" 

To  this  there  was  no  answer,  but  several  of  the 
hooded  figures  snickered. 

The  new  building  reached,  several  of  the  boys 
caught  up  the  German  lad  in  a  blanket. 

"Vot  is  dis  now?"  he  asked,  in  fresh  alarm. 

"Be  careful  now  while  you  carry  him  to  the 
top  of  the  building,"  whispered  one  boy,  but  loud 
enough  for  the  German  lad  to  hear. 

"Hi!  vot  is  dis,  annahow?"  yelled  Carl. 

"A  new  house  they  are  building.  We  are  going 
to  take  you  to  the  top,"  answered  a  member  of  the 
secret  society. 

"Maype  I  ton't  vos  vant  to  go  py  der  dop  al- 
retty," pleaded  Carl. 

"It  won't  hurt  you.     Come  on,  fellows !" 

In  a  twinkling  the  German  youth  was  lifted  up 
and  carried  along,  over  some  wooden  horses  and 
lumber  piles.     He  thought  he  was  going  up — he. 
knew  not  where. 

"Hi !  ton't  you  trop  me  town,"  he  wailed. 


I/O     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"No,  Carl  dear,  we'll  drop  you  up,"  came  in  a 
cheery  voice,  and  this  brought  forth  another 
snicker. 

Presently  the  boys  came  to  a  halt,  and  the  victim 
was  placed  on  his  feet  on  a  narrow  board. 

"Don't  lose  your  balance,"  said  one  boy,  cau- 
tiously. 

"It's  about  thirty  feet  to  the  ground,"  added 
another. 

"Oh,  my !  I  ton't  vos  vant  to  dumble,  ain't  it I" 
shrieked  Carl,  in  terror. 

"You  won't  if  you  are  careful.  Now  you  must 
walk  over  the  beams  from  one  end  of  this  building 
to  the  other." 

"I  can't  vos  do  dot !  I  vos  dumble  town  sure !" 
wailed  Carl. 

"You  have  got  to  do  it  if  you  want  to  join  this 
society.  Here,  let  me  place  your  foot  on  the  next 
beam,"  and  Carl's  right  foot  was  caught  up  and 
put  on  a  beam  a  foot  and  a  half  in  front  of  that 
upon  which  he  had  been  standing. 

"Look  out!  I  vos  dumble  me  town!"  he 
shrieked. 

"Steady  now  and  you'll  be  all  right,"  was  the 
answer.     "Forward  you  go!" 

But  poor  Carl  did  not  go  forward,  instead  he 
remained  standing  on  the  two  beams,  his  knees 
shaking  visibly. 

"Forward!"  was  the  cry  again,  and  now  he  was 


A  FUNNY  INITIATION  171 

tapped  on  the  back  with  the  wooden  swords  and 
stuffed  clubs. 

"I  dumble  me  town!  I  dumble  me  town  sure 
as  I  vas  porn!"  he  shrieked.     "Ton't  douch  me!" 

"Then  move  on.  We  won't  let  you  fall,"  said 
one  student,  and  still  trembling  the  German  lad 
started  to  walk  across  the  beams  to  the  other  end 
of  the  building,  as  he  thought.  He  passed  over 
seven  beams  when,  of  a  sudden,  one  fell  over. 
Down  he  went,  yelling  wildly  and  clutching  at  the 
beam  he  had  just  left.  Then  he  struck  the  ground, 
which  was  just  under  the  beams,  and  rolled  over. 
In  another  moment  the  sack  was  taken  from  his 
head  and  his  hands  were  unloosened. 

"Veil,  I  neffer!"  he  ejaculated,  gazing  around  in 
a  sheepish  way.  "I  dink  me  sure  I  vos  der  top 
of  der  puilding  on  alretty!  Und  I  vos  on  der 
groundt  all  der  vile!  Now  ain't  dot  funny!" 
And  all  at  once  he  set  up  a  roar  of  laughter.  The 
other  students  joined  in,  and  the  general  merriment 
lasted  for  fully  five  minutes. 

"Now,  Carl,  you  are  a  full-fledged  member  of 
the  Gee  Eyes,"  said  Dave,  coming  forward.  "Let 
me  congratulate  you."  And  he  gave  Carl's  hand 
a  tight  squeeze. 

"Dank  you,"  said  the  German  lad.  Then  the 
others  shook  hands,  each  giving  Carl's  hand  the 
tightest  squeeze  possible.  Soon  the  youth  began 
to  dance  around. 


172     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Hi!  somepody  stop  dot!"  he  roared.  "I  ton't 
vont  mine  hand  squashed  to  a  jelly  alretty!  Let 
go,  I  told  you !"  And  after  that  he  would  do  no 
more  handshaking. 

It  was  rather  cold  and  soon  one  of  the  students 
suggested  that  they  go  back  to  the  Hall.  But  the 
others  demurred. 

"Let  us  take  a  trolley  ride,"  said  one.  "Just  the 
thing  in  this  moonlight.  We  can  get  back  in 
plenty  of  time." 

So  it  was  agreed,  and  off  the  crowd  set,  in  the 
direction  of  the  trolley  line,  upon  which  they  had 
had  so  much  sport  the  previous  summer.  Nobody 
dreamed  of  the  surprise  in  store  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ALMOST    SCARED   TO    DEATH 

While  the  Gee  Eyes  were  having  their  sport 
with  Carl  Sultzer  quite  another  scene  was  being 
enacted  some  distance  away,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
trolley  tracks. 

Little  Frank  Bond,  a  pale  and  highly  sensitive 
youth  who  had  come  to  Oak  Hall  two  weeks  be- 
fore, was  being  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the 
D.  D.  A.  Club  by  Plum,  Poole,  Jasniff,  and  several 
of  their  cronies. 

Frank  did  not  care  for  clubs,  being  a  lad  of  a 
retiring  disposition.  But  he  had  been  "talked  into 
it"  by  Plum,  who  thought  he  saw  some  keen  sport 
in  scaring  the  little  fellow  half  to  death. 

"You  must  join  by  all  means,"  said  the  bully  of 
the  school.  "Why,  life  at  Oak  Hall  won't  be 
worth  living  unless  you're  a  member  of  the  D.  D. 
A.  Club."  And  very  foolishly  Frank  agreed  to 
submit  to  an  initiation. 

"We'll  scare  him  out  of  his  seven  senses," 
chuckled  Plum.     "It  will  be  a  barrel  of  fun." 

173 


174     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"What  will  you  do?"  questioned  the  others  of 
the  club. 

When  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall  unfolded  his  plan 
several  demurred,  stating  it  would  be  rather  severe 
on  a  lad  of  Frank's  temperament.  But  they  were 
overruled,  and  in  the  end  the  so-styled  initiation 
was  carried  out  as  the  bully  planned  it. 

After  a  good  deal  of  ceremony,  which  was  great 
fun  and  rather  enjoyed  by  the  small  boy,  Frank 
was  blindfolded  and  marched  out  in  the  direction 
of  the  trolley  tracks.  The  club  members  took  to  a 
side  road,  where  there  was  a  single  track  running 
to  a  town  several  miles  distant.  On  this  track  was 
a  new  turnout,  which  had  been  put  down  only  a 
short  while  before. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  asked  Frank,  timidly, 
as  the  others  hurried  him  along. 

"To  the  trolley  tracks,"  was  the  answer.  "We 
want  to  test  your  nerve." 

"How?" 

"Oh,  we'll  put  you  on  the  tracks  and  let  the 
trolley  run  over  you,"  answered  Plum,  brutally. 

"Oh,  please  don't  put  me  on  the  tracks!"  cried 
Frank.  "I — I  know  you  don't  want  to  hurt  me, 
but  a  trolley  car  might  come  along,  and  I  might  get 
struck." 

"Oh,  it's  all  right,"  said  Jasniff.  "If  you're 
ground  up  we'll  pick  up  the  pieces  and  give  you  a 
decent  burial." 


ALMOST  SCARED  TO  DEATH  175 

This  sort  of  talk  was  kept  up  until  the  trolley 
line  was  reached,  and  the  effect  was  to  completely 
unnerve  the  young  victim.  He  was  allowed  to  see 
the  single  track  and  then  blindfolded  once  more, 
and  his  hands  were  tied  behind  his  back. 

"Now  put  him  on  the  tracks,"  commanded 
Plum,  roughly. 

"And  don't  forget  to  chain  him  fast,"  added 
Jasniff,  rattling  a  dog  chain  he  had  brought  along. 

"Oh,  we'll  chain  him  good  and  hard,"  said  Nat 
Poole. 

"No!  no!  Please  don't!"  cried  Frank,  and  now 
he  tried  to  break  away  from  his  tormentors.  A 
struggle  ensued,  but  in  the  end  he  was  subdued  and 
dragged  along  the  track  to  where  was  located  the 
turnout  just  mentioned.  Here  he  was  thrown  on 
his  back,  and  his  hands  were  fastened  down  to  one 
of  the  rails. 

"Don't!  Let  me  go!  Please  let  me  go!"  he 
shrieked.  "I  don't  want  to  be  tied  to  the  track! 
I  don't  want  to  join  the  club !  If  a  trolley  should 
come  along  I'd  surely  be  hurt!  Let  me  go!" 
And  he  started  to  struggle  again. 

"See  here,  aren't  we  going  a  little  too  far?" 
whispered  one  of  the  students. 

"He's  too  sensitive  for  this  sort  of  sport,"  added 
another. 

"Oh,  pshaw!  it's  all  right,"  interrupted  Plum. 
"The  little  beggar  won't  be  hurt  in  the  least." 


176     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"But  he'll  be  scared  to  death." 

"Well,  that's  the  fun  of  it,"  came  from  Jasniff. 

In  the  meantime  Frank  Bond  continued  to  cry- 
out  to  be  released.  He  was  so  frightened  now 
that  he  know  not  what  to  do.  He  struggled  madly 
to  break  his  bonds. 

"I'm  going  to  let  him  go,"  began  one  boy,  a  lad 
named  Messmer. 

"Don't  you  touch  him,"  answered  Plum, 
roughly.     "It's  only  fun." 

"But,  Gus " 

"Here  comes  the  trolley!"  shouted  Jasniff. 
"Now,  Bond,  take  it  easy  when  they  run  over 
you!" 

"Don't  throw  the  trolley  off  the  track,"  added 
Plum,  brutally. 

The  trolley  came  along  swiftly  in  the  semi-dark- 
ness, and  as  it  approached  Frank  Bond  let  out  a 
piercing  scream  for  help.  He  was  now  completely 
beside  himself  with  fear. 

"Don't,  don't!  Help!"  he  screamed.  "Save 
me!  Save  me!"  And  then  he  began  to  foam  at 
the  mouth. 

With  a  rush  and  a  roar  the  trolley  car  came  on. 
The  poor  boy  on  the  turnout  track  thought  sure 
it  was  going  to  run  over  him  and  struggled  madly 
to  get  free.  Then,  just  as  the  trolley  swept  beside 
him,  he  broke  his  bonds,  leaped  to  his  feet,  and 
stepped  blindly  toward  the  car.     His  arm  struck 


ALMOST  SCARED  TO  DEATH  177 

the  back  platform  and  he  was  hurled  backward. 
Then  the  trolley,  with  its  gleaming  headlight, 
swept  on  its  way,  the  motorman  taking  no  notice 
of  what  had  happened. 

"He's  hurt!"  was  the  cry  from  Messmer. 

"It's  the  little  beggar's  own  fault,"  said  Gus 
Plum,  but  his  voice  trembled  as  he  spoke. 

uOh,  I  am  killed!  I  am  killed!"  cried  Frank, 
struggling  to  his  feet  and  throwing  the  bandage 
from  his  eyes.  He  was  foaming  at  the  mouth,  and 
bleeding  both  at  the  head  and  on  the  hand. 
"Don't  let  the  trolley  go  over  me  again !  Save 
me!  Save  me!"  And  then,  with  a  bound,  he 
turned  and  disappeared  into  the  bushes  and  trees 
which  lined  the  trolley  road  at  this  point. 

"He  has  gone  mad!"  whispered  one  of  the  boys, 
hoarsely. 

"As  mad  as  a  March  hare,"  was  the  comment  of 
another  of  the  students.  "Come  back,  Frank! 
It's  all  right !"  he  called  out. 

"The  little  fool!"  muttered  Jasniff.  "He 
wouldn't  have  been  hurt  at  all  if  he  had  remained 
quiet."  He  raised  his  voice:  "Come  back'  here, 
Bond,  it's  all  over!" 

"I  said  he  couldn't  stand  it,"  said  Messmer. 
"It  was  a  shame  to  go  so  far." 

"Oh,  don't  preach  to  me,"  returned  Jasniff. 
"Bond,  are  you  coming  back?"  he  cried,  in  a  louder 
tone. 


1 78  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

The  only  reply  was  a  distant  scream,  so  cold  and 
uncanny  it  made  all  of  the  students  shiver.  Then 
came  other  screams,  gradually  growing  fainter  and 
fainter. 

"He  is  going  deeper  and  deeper  into  th<= 
woods!" 

"Say,  we'll  have  to  get  him  out  of  that!" 

"He  has  gone  crazy,  just  as  sure  as  fate,"  said 
Messmer.  "Come,  we  must  bring  him  back  and 
do  what  we  can  for  him." 

The  wood  was  a  long  one  and  some  distance 
from  the  trolley  turnout  was  another  road,  leading 
down  to  the  main  line.  Dave  and  his  chums  were 
coming  along  this  road  when  Ben  came  to  a  sudden 
halt. 

"Listen!" 

"What  did  you  hear,  Ben?" 

Before  Ben  could  answer  Dave's  question  a 
blood-curdling  scream  rent  the  air.  It  was  fol- 
lowed by  another  and  then  another. 

"My  gracious!  is  that  a  ghost?"  queried  Sam 
Day. 

"It's  somebody  in  trouble  perhaps,"  came  from 
Roger. 

"Of  dot  peen  a  ghost  I  dink  I  go  me  pack  to  der 
Hall  alretty  now!"  said  Carl  Sultzer,  in  alarm. 

"There  are  no  ghosts,"  said  Dave.  "All  so- 
called  ghosts  are  make-believes — humbugs,  in 
fact." 


ALMOST  SCARED  TO  DEATH  179 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  said 
Shadow,  as  the  crowd  came  to  a  halt,  listening  to  a 
repetition  of  the  cries.  "A  lot  of  college  students 
wanted  to  play  a  joke  on  their  professor,  so  they 
put  together  the  body  of  one  bug,  the  wings  of 
another,  the  legs  of  another,  and  the  horns  of  an- 
other. Then  they  went  to  the  old  professor  and 
said :  'Here  is  a  wonderful  new  bug  we  have  found. 
What  family  does  it  belong  to?'  The  old  pro- 
fessor looked  the  thing  over  for  a  minute.  'A 
well-known  family,'  he  said.  'A  very  large 
family.'  'What?'  asked  the  students,  all  ready  to 
laugh  at  the  old  fellow.  'The  family  of  hum- 
bugs,' answered  the  professor." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  Roger,  laughing,  while 
the  others  joined  in. 

"Say,  vot  has  dot  hum-pug  to  to  mit  dot  ghost?" 
asked  Carl,  innocently.  He  had  been  the  only  one 
unable  to  appreciate  the  joke. 

"Nothing,  but — listen !" 

Buster  Beggs  broke  off  short,  as  another  scream 
rent  the  air.  Then  the  members  of  the  Gee  Eyes 
saw  a  wild-looking  youth  rush  across  the  road  and 
disappear  among  the  trees  beyond. 

"Did  you  see  that?" 

"It  was  a  boy!" 

"He  acted  as  if  he  was  crazy!" 

"Yes,  and  do  you  know  who  it  was?"  demanded 
Dave.     "It  was  little  Frank  Bond !" 


180     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"So  it  was,"  added  Roger.  "Boys,  what  can 
this  mean?" 

"He  must  be  in  trouble,"  said  Buster  Beggs. 

"Perhaps  some  wild  animal  scared  him,"  was 
Ben's  comment.  "But  what  can  he  be  doing  out 
here  alone  this  time  of  night?" 

"Bond!  Bond!"  cried  Roger.  "Come  back 
here !     What's  the  matter  ?" 

But  the  only  answer  that  came  back  was  another 
scream,  as  the  half-crazed  lad  plunged  deeper  and 
deeper  into  the  wood.  Soon  he  was  completely 
out  of  hearing. 

"I  don't  like  this,"  was  Dave's  comment. 

"Listen,  I  hear  somebody  else  coming,"  said 
Ben,  and  soon  they  heard  Plum  and  his  crowd  ap- 
proaching through  the  woods.  They  were  hunt- 
ing in  several  directions  for  Frank  Bond. 

"Hullo!"  cried  Roger  to  the  other  crowd,  and 
soon  the  D.  D.  A.  members  and  the  Gee  Eyes  con- 
fronted each  other. 

"What  brings  you  out  here?"  demanded  Plum, 
suspiciously. 

"We  might  ask  the  same  question  of  you?"  re- 
turned Dave,  coldly. 

"Oh,  I  say,  Porter,  have  you  seen  anything  of 
little  Frank  Bond?"  asked  Messmer,  stepping  for- 
ward. 

"Yes,  we  saw  him  a  minute  ago.  He  ran  across 
this  road  as  if  he  was  crazy.    What's  the  trouble?" 


ALMOST  SCARED  TO  DEATH  181 

"Don't  say  a  word!"  burst  out  Jasniff,  confront- 
ing his  fellow  club  member. 

"Bond  got  scared  and  ran  away  from  us,"  went 
on  Messmer,  ignoring  Nick  Jasniff  completely. 
"Did  he — er — did  he  look  hurt,  or — er — crazy?" 

"He  looked  both,"  put  in  Roger.  "What  have 
you  been  doing,  hazing  him?" 

"That's  our  affair,"  broke  in  Plum,  warningly. 

"Look  here,  Plum,  and  you  too,  Jasniff,  I  won't 
stand  for  any  more  of  your  talk!"  cried  Messmer, 
wrathfully.  "You  went  too  far,  and  I  said  so  from 
the  start."  He  turned  again  to  Dave  and  Roger. 
"We  were  initiating  Bond  into  our  club.  We  had 
him  down  to  the  trolley  track  and — well,  he  got 
badly  scared  and  bumped  into  a  trolley  that  was 
passing.  Then  all  at  once  he  seemed  to  go  crazy 
and  ran  off  into  the  woods.  We  don't  know 
how  badly  he  is  hurt  or  where  he  has  gone  to." 

"If  that's  the  case,  one  thing  is  certain,"  said 
Dave.  "We  must  find  him,  and  do  it  as  soon  as 
possible." 


CHAPTER  XX 

a  student's  strange  disappearance 

Much  against  the  wishes  of  Plum,  Poole,  and 
Jasniff,  Messmer  told  many  of  the  details  of  what 
had  been  done  to  poor  Frank  Bond.  He  did  not 
attempt  to  shield  himself.  His  story  was  corrob- 
orated by  a  student  named  Jardell,  who  was  dis- 
gusted by  the  attitude  taken  by  the  bully  of  Oak 
Hall  and  his  intimates. 

"I  like  fun  as  well  as  the  next  one,"  said  Jardell, 
"but  I  don't  want  to  see  it  carried  too  far." 

"Oh,  you  needn't  blame  us  for  everything," 
sneered  Plum.  "You're  tarred  with  the  same 
brush." 

"There  is  no  use  in  discussing  the  matter  now," 
said  Dave.  "What  we  want  to  do  is  to  find  poor 
Frank.     Why,  he  may  be  seriously  hurt !" 

"I  trust  not,"  answered  Messmer,  turning  pale. 

The  students  walked  into  the  wood  and  a  search 
was  begun  that  lasted  the  best  part  of  an  hour. 
Nobody  got  on  the  trail  of  the  missing  boy  and  no 
more  cries  were  heard.  It  was  so  dark  that  but 
little  could  be  seen,  and  at  last  the  whole  crowd 
came  out  on  the  road  again. 

182 


A  STUDENT'S  DISAPPEARANCE        183 

The  thoughts  of  a  trolley  ride  had  been  aban- 
doned by  the  members  of  the  Gee  Eyes,  and  they 
decided  to  get  back  to  the  Hall  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

"But  Dr.  Clay  ought  to  be  told  about  Frank," 
said  Dave,  to  Messmer  and  Jardell. 

"I'll  tell  him,"  answered  Messmer,  promptly. 
"I'll  tell  him  the  truth,  even  if  I'm  dismissed  from 
the  school  for  it." 

"So  will  I,"  added  Jardell. 

"Going  to  get  us  into  trouble,  eh?"  growled  Gus 
Plum.     "Better  go  slow." 

"I'll  not  mention  any  names,"  said  Messmer. 

"Neither  will  I,"  added  Jardell.  "I  am  not 
that  kind." 

Presently  all  of  the  students  returned  to  Oak 
Hall  by  the  shortest  possible  route.  The  Gee 
Eyes  went  in  a  crowd  by  themselves,  and  because 
of  an  open  back  door  had  small  difficulty  in  enter- 
ing without  being  noticed.  A  little  later  Plum  and 
his  cronies  came  in,  followed  by  Messmer  and  Jar- 
dell. 

"Do  you  think  Messmer  and  Jardell  will  really 
go  to  the  doctor?"  questioned  Sam  Day. 

"I  do,"  answered  Dave.  "They  are  good,  hon- 
est fellows,  both  of  them.  After  this  I  reckon 
they'll  give  Plum  and  his  crowd  the  go-by."  And 
in  that  surmise  Dave  was  correct. 

The  boys  listened  in  the  upper  hallway,  and  soon 


1 84  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

heard  Messmer  and  Jardell  enter  the  Hall.  The 
two  held  a  whispered  talk  for  a  minute  and  then 
walked  boldly  to  Dr.  Clay's  room  and  rapped  on 
the  door. 

"They  are  certainly  going  to  face  the  music," 
whispered  Roger. 

"I  admire  their  grit,"  was  Ben's  comment. 

The  knock  on  the  doctor's  door  was  answered  by 
a  voice  from  within,  and  presently  Dr.  Clay  ap- 
peared, clad  in  his  dressing-gown.  Then  the 
owner  of  the  Hall  and  the  two  students  went  down 
to  the  office. 

Exactly  all  that  passed  between  the  doctor  and 
Messmer  and  Jardell  was  never  known  to  the 
school  at  large.  But  it  was  known  that  the  boys 
told  a  straight  story  and  utterly  refused  to  mention 
any  names  but  their  own  and  poor  Frank  Bond's. 
As  soon  as  the  meeting  in  the  office  was  over  Dr. 
Clay  summoned  Jackson  Lemond  and  Swingly  the 
janitor,  and  all  three  went  out,  taking  Messmer 
and  Jardell  with  them. 

"They  have  gone  on  a  hunt,"  said  Dave.  "Oh, 
I  do  hope  they  find  that  poor  lad!" 

It  goes  without  saying  that  some  of  the  students 
did  not  sleep  well  that  night.  Plum,  Poole,  and 
Jasniff  were  particularly  restless,  fearing  they 
would  be  called  to  the  bar  of  justice.  They  were 
sure  Messmer  and  Jardell  would  "blab"  on  them, 
as  the  bully  expressed  it. 


A  STUDENT'S  DISAPPEARANCE        185 

"But  if  they  do,  I'll  hammer  the  life  out  of 
them,"  said  the  bully. 

"And  so  will  I,"  added  Jasniff. 

In  the  morning  it  was  easy  to  see  that  something 
was  wrong.  The  teachers  and  hired  help  went 
around  whispering  to  themselves,  and  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  quiet  talking  among  the  boys.  It 
was  soon  learned  that  Frank  Bond  was  still  missing 
and  nobody  knew  what  had  become  of  him. 

As  soon  as  the  school  was  assembled  Dr.  Clay 
addressed  the  students. 

"Young  gentlemen,  a  most  deplorable  thing  oc- 
curred last  night,"  he  began.  "One  of  the  younger 
students  was  taken  out  and  'initiated,'  as  it  is  called, 
into  one  of  your  secret  societies.  The  strain  was 
too  great  on  his  nerves,  and  after  being  hurt  by  a 
trolley  car,  he  became  half-crazy  and  disappeared 
into  the  North  End  woods.  Two  students  have 
already  told  me  about  the  affair.  I  want  to  know 
the  names  of  the  others  connected  with  this  occur- 
rence. Anybody  who  had  anything  to  do  with  it, 
stand  up." 

There  was  a  full  minute  of  silence  and  the  stu- 
dents looked  keenly  at  one  another. 

"Does  anybody  in  this  assembly  room  know  any- 
thing about  this  at  all?"  went  on  the  master  of  Oak 
Hall.  "Remember,  young  gentlemen,  it  is  a 
serious  matter,  and  I  want  to  learn  all  there  is  to 
know  of  it." 


1 86  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

As  the  doctor  ceased  speaking  Dave  arose  in  his 
seat.  He  was  promptly  followed  by  Roger,  Ben, 
and  half  a  dozen  others  of  the  Gee  Eyes.  The 
other  students  looked  at  those  who  had  arisen  in 
astonishment,  while  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff  were 
dumfounded. 

"Is  he  going  to  blab  too?"  whispered  Jasniff  to 
Plum,  indicating  Dave. 

"Looks  like  it." 

"Porter,  what  have  you  to  say?"  questioned  Dr. 
Clay. 

"Not  a  great  deal,  sir,  but  I  am  willing  to  tell 
what  I  can.  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  hazing, 
or  whatever  you  may  call  it.  But  I  was  out  near 
the  woods  last  night  and  I  saw  Frank  Bond  run 
across  the  road  and  plunge  into  the  woods  at  the 
North  End.  A  whole  crowd  of  us  searched  for 
him,  but  we  could  not  find  him." 

"And  what  have  you  to  say,  Morr?" 

"I  was  with  Dave  Porter,  sir,"  answered  the 
senator's  son. 

"So  was  I,"  "And  I,"  came  from  the  others  of 
the  Gee  Eyes. 

"You  had  nothing  to  do  with  Frank  Bond 
previous  to  his  becoming  frightened  and  running 
away?"  demanded  the  master  of  the  Hall,  sharply. 

"No,  sir,  I  was  not  near  him,  nor  were  any  of 
my  companions,"  answered  Dave,  indicating  his 
friends. 


A  STUDENT'S  DISAPPEARANCE        187 

"Then  you  were  not  with  Messmer  and  Jar- 
dell?" 

"Not  until  after  we  met  on  the  road  and  started 
to  hunt  for  Bond,  sir." 

"We  were  with  an  entirely  different  party,  Dr. 
Clay,"  said  Messmer,  rising  in  his  seat. 

"The  party  that  'initiated'  Bond,  is  that  it?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Are  those  students  in  this  room?" 

Messmer  remained  silent. 

"Messmer,  answer  me." 

"Dr.  Clay,  they  are  in  this  room,  but  I — I  can- 
not tell  you  who  they  are." 

"Porter,  what  have  you  to  say?" 

There  was  a  moment  of  breathless  silence. 

"Dr.  Clay,  I  would  rather  you  would  not  ask  me 
to  mention  any  names,"  said  Dave,  slowly  but 
firmly.  "I  think  every  fellow  ought  to  speak  up 
for  himself.  He  will  if  he  has  any  honor  about 
him." 

"Then  you  decline  to  speak?" 

"I  am  very  sorry  to  say  that  I  do,  sir." 

There  was  another  pause,  and  then  a  rather 
stupid  boy  arose  and  began  to  shuffle  his  feet  un- 
easily. 

"What  is  it,  Seabold?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"I  ain't  going  to  hang  back  no  longer,  Dr. 
Clay,"  stammered  Seabold.  "I  was  in  that — er — 
that  mix-up  with  Messmer  and  Jardell.     Porter 


1 88  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

and  Morr  and  that  crowd  didn't  have  anything  to 
do  with  it.  I  don't  like  to  be  a  sneak,  but  I  can't 
stand  up  for  such  a  sneak  as  Gus  Plum,  nor  Nat 
Poole,  nor  Nick  Jasniff  neither.  We  were  all  in  it 
together,  and  as  Porter  says,  they  ought  to  have 
honor  enough  to  speak  up  and  take  their  share  of 
the  blame.  We  didn't  mean  to  hurt  Frank  Bond, 
only  to  scare  him.  When  he  ran  away  I  got  scared 
myself  and  so  did  the  others.  We  began  to  hunt 
for  Frank,  and  then  Porter  and  his  crowd  came 
along  and  helped  us.  But  it  was  no  use,  we 
couldn't  find  the  boy.  I  ain't  slept  all  night  think- 
ing of  Frank.     I'd  give  all  I'm  worth  to  find  him." 

"Who  got  up  the  plan  to  tie  Bond  to  the  trolley 
track?" 

"Gus  Plum  spoke  of  it  first." 

"It  ain't  so!"  yelled  Gus  Plum,  leaping  up,  his 
face  very  red.  "I  didn't  have  anything  more  to 
do  with  it  than  anybody  else." 

"He  spoke  of  it  to  me,"  added  Seabold. 

"Poole,  what  have  you  to  say?" 

"I — er — I  didn't  have  hardly  anything  to  do 
with  it,"  said  Nat,  lamely,  his  knees  shaking  be- 
neath him.     "I — er — looked  on — mostly." 

"Jasniff,  did  you  propose  the  plan?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Jasniff,  boldly.  "I  reckon 
Messmer  and  Jardell  and  Seabold  hatched  it  up 
between  them." 

"So  they  did,"  put  in  Plum,  maliciously. 


A  STUDENT'S  DISAPPEARANCE        189 

"That  is  positively  false,"  declared  Messmer. 
"As  a  matter  of  fact  I  said  I  didn't  want  to  go  so 
far,  because  Frank  seemed  to  be  so  frightened.  If 
I  had  had  my  own  way  I  should  have  released  him 
long  before  the  trolley  car  came  along.  He  was 
too  nervous  to  stand  such  fun." 

"If  the  truth  is  to  come  out,  Gus  Plum  is  the  one 
who  proposed  tying  Bond  to  the  trolley  track," 
said  Jardell.  "I  wasn't  going  to  say  a  word,  but 
I  am  not  going  to  stand  here  and  let  him  throw  the 
blame  on  Messmer  and  me,  or  on  Porter  and  his 
crowd,  or  anybody  else.  I  have  told  the  exact 
truth  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and  I  am  ready  to 
take  any  punishment  that  is  coming  to  me." 

After  this  a  long  talk  followed,  and  in  the  end 
the  master  of  the  Hall  said  he  would  take  up  the 
matter  later,  when  it  was  learned  what  had  become 
of  Frank  Bond.  In  the  meantime,  so  great  was 
the  excitement,  the  school  was  dismissed  for  the 
day,  and  those  who  wished  to  do  so  were  told  that 
they  might  go  out  until  sundown  in  a  search  for  the 
missing  pupil. 

"I  am  certainly  going  out,"  said  Dave,  to  Roger 
and  Ben.  "I  think  we  ought  to  do  our  best  to  find 
him,  or  else  find  out  about  him." 

"Maybe  he  jumped  into  the  river  and  drowned 
himself,"  suggested  Ben. 

"Or  fell  over  some  cliff  and  got  killed,"  added 
the  senator's  son.     "A  fellow  so  scared  as  he  was 


igo     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

might   do   almost   anything.      But   I   agree   with 
Dave,  we  ought  to  go  out." 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  in  the  end 
Dave,  Ben,  Roger,  and  Beggs  set  off  in  a  little 
party,  taking  a  lunch  with  them.  In  the  meantime 
others  went  out  too,  so  that  the  woods  known  as 
the  North  End  were  alive  with  boys  and  men,  all 
searching  for  the  missing  student. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE   CAVERN    IN   THE    WOODS 

The  four  students  remembered  the  part  of  the 
big  woods  which  had  been  gone  over  before  and 
consequently  they  did  not  attempt  to  search  for 
Frank  Bond  in  that  direction.  They  struck  out 
over  a  small  hill  and  then  along  somewhat  of  a 
hollow,  though  which  ran  a  small  creek  that  flowed 
into  the  Leming  River. 

The  way  was  rough  and  uncertain,  and  several 
times  they  had  fairly  to  force  their  progress 
through  the  bushes.  Once  Buster  Beggs  got 
caught  so  thoroughly  that  the  others  had  to  turn 
back  to  aid  him. 

"Do  you  think  Frank  could  have  come  in  this 
direction?"  questioned  Roger.  "How  could  he 
get  through?" 

"A  fellow  who  is  half  crazy  will  do  all  sorts  of 
queer  things,"  answered  Dave.  "And  as  we 
couldn't  find  him  in  the  other  part  of  the  woods,  it 
appears  to  me  as  if  he  must  have  come  this  way." 

Over  an  hour  was  spent  in  searching  along  the 
creek,  but  without  avail.      They  called  Frank's 

191 


192     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

name  a  great  number  of  times,  but  not  a  sound 
came  back  save  the  call  of  the  birds. 

"I  shouldn't  like  to  run  across  any  snakes,"  said 
Buster  Beggs. 

"I  don't  believe  there  are  any  very  bad  snakes 
in  this  woods,"  answered  Ben. 

They  now  made  another  turn  and  came  up  to 
the  face  of  a  rocky  cliff.  Suddenly  Dave  leaped 
forward. 

"Look!  look!"  he  cried,  and  held  up  a  handker- 
chief covered  with  blood.  In  one  corner  were  the 
initials,  F.  A.  B. 

"Frank  A.  Bond,"  said  Roger.  "We  must  be 
on  the  right  track." 

"Oh,  if  only  we  don't  find  the  poor  fellow 
dead!"  murmured  Dave. 

Further  on  the  rocks  were  very  rough,  and  then 
came  a  cleft  leading  into  a  small  cavern.  The 
entrance  was  dark  and  partly  covered  with  brush. 

"See,  the  bushes  are  torn  and  broken, "was  Ben's 
comment.  "Somebody  has  been  walking  in  and 
out." 

They  gazed  into  the  cavern,  but  for  a  few  sec- 
onds could  see  nothing. 

"Frank!"  called  out  Dave.     "Frank  Bond!" 

"Help!"  came  back,  in  a  faint  voice.  "Help 
me!" 

"He  is  here!"  exclaimed  Dave.  "Has  anybody 
a  match  so  we  can  make  a  light?" 


THE  CAVERN  IN  THE  WOODS        193 

Buster  Briggs  had  some  matches,  which  he  used 
for  his  bicycle  lamp,  and  with  one  of  these  the  four 
boys  set  fire  to  some  dry  brushwood  they  pulled  up. 
The  glare  from  the  flames  lit  up  the  interior  of  the 
cavern,  and  they  gazed  inside,  to  behold  poor 
Frank  Bond  lying  in  a  corner  on  some  leaves.  The 
young  student  was  utterly  exhausted  and  lay  with 
his  eyes  closed. 

"Frank,  are  you  hurt?"  asked  Dave,  bend- 
ing over  him.  "I  mean,  are  you  hurt  very 
badly?" 

At  the  sound  of  Dave's  voice  the  youth  on  the 
leaves  opened  his  eyes  for  a  moment. 

"Take  me  back  to  school !"  he  gasped.  "Don't 
— don't  let  the  trolley  run  over  me !" 

"Frank,  you  are  safe  now — nothing  is  going  to 
hurt  you,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "Tell  us  where 
you  are  hurt." 

"I — I "     Frank  Bond  stared  around  him. 

"I  thought  it  was  the  Plum  crowd  after  mel 
Whe — where  did  you  come  from?" 

"From  the  school.  We  came  out  to  look  for 
you." 

"Oh!" 

"What  about  your  hurts?"  asked  Ben. 

"Oh,  I  got  my  arm  hurt,  and  my  leg,  and  I  fell 
down  and  cut  my  face,"  answered  the  sufferer. 
"I — I  don't  know  how  I  got  here,  and  I  didn't 
know  the  way  home,  and  I  got  hungry  and  sleepy, 


194  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

and — and "     Frank  Bond  could  not  go  on, 

but  burst  into  tears. 

"We'll  fix  you  up,"  said  Dave,  kindly.  "We've 
brought  some  lunch  with  us  and  you  shall  have  all 
you  want.     Start  up  that  fire  briskly,  fellows." 

The  fire  was  built  up  in  good  shape,  and  two 
torches  were  brought  into  the  cavern.  Then 
Frank  Bond  was  propped  up  against  a  wall  and 
given  something  to  eat  and  to  drink.  He  was  very 
hungry  and  ate  up  fully  half  of  what  the  four  boys 
carried.  Water  was  then  brought  in  from  che 
creek  and  his  several  wounds  were  washed  ind 
dressed.  Fortunately  none  of  them  was  serious, 
although  they  had  been  very  painful. 

The  small  student  was  still  in  a  highly  nervous 
state  and  the  others  did  all  they  could  to  quiet  him. 
He  remembered  being  tied  to  the  trolley  track  and 
running  away,  but  could  not  tell  how  he  had 
reached  the  cavern  or  how  long  he  had  remained 
there. 

"I  guess  I  was  plumb  crazy,"  he  declared.  "I 
thought  sure  the  trolley  car  was  going  to  run  over 
me!" 

At  last  the  others  managed  to  get  him  to  his 
feet.  But  he  was  too  weak  to  walk  more  than  a 
few  steps  at  a  time. 

"I — I  can't  do  it,"  he  gasped.  "Oh,  how  will 
I  ever  get  back  to  the  Hall  ?" 

"Let  us  take  turns  at  carrying  him,"  suggested 


THE  CAVERN  IN  THE  WOODS         195 

Dave.  "Frank,  you  can  hold  on  to  my  back,  can't 
you?" 

The  small  student  said  he  would  try,  and  putting 
out  the  fire  the  whole  party  quitted  the  cavern,  the 
hurt  lad  on  Dave's  back.  It  was  quite  a  load  for 
Dave  to  master,  but  he  managed .  it  for  several 
hundred  yards,  when  each  of  the  others  took  a  turn. 
Thus,  after  hard  work,  they  got  Frank  to  the  road- 
way. 

A  loud  yelling  brought  some  other  boys  and 
Andrew  Dale  to  the  scene.  One  of  the  boys  had 
his  wheel  and,  riding  on  this,  he  went  back  to  the 
academy  and  had  Jackson  Lemond  come  for  Frank 
with  a  carriage.  Then  a  pistol  was  fired  off  three 
times, — this  being  the  signal  showing  that  the  miss- 
ing one  was  found.  Soon  pupils  and  teachers  came 
trooping  back  to  Oak  Hall,  all  anxious  to  listen  to 
Frank's  story. 

As  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the  Hall,  the  small 
student  was  taken  to  a  private  bedroom  and  a  doc- 
tor was  sent  for  to  attend  him.  In  the  meantime 
he  was  given  something  hot  to  drink  and  rolled  in 
blankets,  that  he  might  not  take  cold.  Not  until 
that  evening  did  Dr.  Clay  attempt  to  get  the  de- 
tails of  his  story  from  the  sufferer. 

When  the  physician  arrived  he  said  that  Frank's 
hurts  were  not  of  a  serious  nature.  "He  has  been 
more  frightened  than  anything  else,"  said  the  doc- 
tor.    "He  must  be  kept  very  quiet  for  at  least  a 


196     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

week,  and  after  that,  Dr.  Clay,  you  had  better  let 
him  go  slowly  with  his  studies  for  a  month  or 
so." 

"I'll  do  it,"  answered  the  master  of  Oak  Hall. 

"This  lad  is  of  a  high-strung  temperament  and 
he  has  been  under  an  unusual  mental  strain." 

"You  do  not  think  he  will  suffer  permanently?" 
asked  the  good  doctor,  anxiously. 

"Oh,  no,  but  he  must  be  kept  quiet." 

In  an  easy  kind  of  way  Dr.  Clay  drew  from 
Frank  Bond  his  whole  story  of  the  initiation  into 
the  D.  D.  A.  Club.  From  the  lad  he  learned  that 
Plum  and  Jasniff  had  been  the  prime  movers  in 
the  so-called  fun,  and  that  Poole  had  backed  them 
up.  He  at  once  sent  for  the  three  to  come  to  his 
private  office. 

"I  reckon  we're  in  for  it  now,"  growled  Plum, 
on  receiving  the  summons. 

"Deny  everything,"  advised  Nick  Jasniff.  He 
thought  nothing  of  telling  a  falsehood  whenever  it 
suited  him. 

When  the  three  entered  the  office  Dr.  Clay  faced 
them  sternly. 

"I  want  to  have  a  talk  to  you  three  young  gen- 
tlemen," said  the  master  of  Oak  Hall.  "I  have 
learned  the  truth  of  the  Frank  Bond  affair  and  I 
want  to  know  what  you  mean  by  such  conduct." 

The  three  tried  to  excuse  themselves,  but  it  was 
to  no  purpose.     The  doctor  read  them  through 


THE  CAVERN  IN  THE  WOODS        197 

and  through,  and  then  gave  each  a  lecture  that  was 
never  forgotten. 

"Fun  is  fun,  but  this  was  not  fun,"  said  he. 
"Bond  is  a  delicate  and  highly  nervous  boy,  and  to 
do  what  you  did  was  to  make  him  suffer  most  hor- 
ribly. It  is  a  wonder  that  you  did  not  drive  him 
insane.  As  it  is,  he  will  suffer  for  a  long  time  to 
come,  and  if  his  parents  see  fit  to  prosecute  you  it 
will  be  your  own  fault  if  you  are  sent  to  jail. 
More  than  that,  you  have  disgraced  this  school, 
and  for  that  I  intend  to  punish  you  myself.  Each 
of  you  must  remain  inside  of  the  academy  grounds 
for  the  next  two  weeks,  and  in  addition  I  will  give 
you  some  extra  lessons  in  history  to  learn,  and  I 
want  them  learned  thoroughly.  And  more  than 
this,  if  you  are  ever  concerned  in  such  a  disgraceful 
proceeding  again  I  shall  dismiss  you  from  Oak 
Hall." 

When  the  three  students  left  the  doctor's  office 
Nat  Poole  was  so  cowed  that  he  trembled  in  every 
limb.  Plum,  too,  was  subdued,  but  Jasniff  was 
boiling  with  inward  rage. 

"I  didn't  come  here  to  be  bulldozed,"  he  de- 
clared. "If  I  want  some  fun  I  am  going  to  have 
it.  If  old  Clay  sends  me  away,  I  guess  I'll  find 
some  other  school  just  as  good."  Jasniff  was  cer- 
tainly a  bad  youth,  but  the  others  were  still  to  find 
out  how  really  bad  he  was. 

After  this  a  week  slipped  by  rather  quickly. 


198     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

During  that  time  Dave  got  word  from  the  Law- 
rences that  Phil  was  a  trifle  better  physically,  but 
that  his  head  hurt  him  a  great  deal.  He  was  still 
in  bed  and  there  was  no  telling  when  he  would  get 
around  again. 

"I  trust  it  doesn't  hurt  his  head  permanently," 
said  Dave,  for  at  least  the  fiftieth  time.  He  had 
heard  of  a  boy  who  had  had  his  head  hurt 
by  a  water-wheel  and  had  become  silly  in  conse- 
quence. 

"Let  us  hope  for  the  best,"  answered  Roger. 
"Poor  Phil!  It  would  certainly  be  awful  if  he 
didn't  get  around  all  right  again  !" 

The  injuries  received  by  Phil  and  Frank  Bond 
put  something  of  a  damper  on  the  school  and  for 
some  time  matters  ran  along  very  quietly.  Plum 
was  troubled  in  more  ways  than  one.  He  was 
afraid  he  was  going  to  hear  from  Frank  Bond's 
father  or  the  police,  and  he  was  also  worrying  over 
his  football  wagers.  He  had  lost  all  his  spending 
money  and  he  owed  about  thirty  dollars,  and  his 
friends  were  pressing  him  to  pay  up.  He  had 
gone  to  Poole  for  a  loan,  but  Nat  had  all  he  could 
do  to  pay  his  own  losses.  Jasniff  had  promised  to 
do  something,  but  since  the  Bond  affair  had  said 
nothing  more  on  the  subject. 

"Say,  Nick,  I  thought  you  were  going  to  help 
me  get  some  money,"  said  he  one  day  to  his  crony, 
when  he  could  keep  silent  no  longer. 


THE  CAVERN  IN  THE  WOODS         199 

"Haven't  you  got  some  money  from  home?" 
asked  the  other  boy,  with  a  leer. 

"No,  my  dad  can't  spare  any  just  now,"  an- 
swered the  bully,  bluntly.  He  was  growing 
desperate.  His  father  had  written  that  he  must 
get  along  without  spending  money  for  at  least  a 
month  more. 

"Well,  I'll  let  you  know  what  I  can  do  in  a  week 
or  so,"  answered  Jasniff,  slowly. 

"You  said  that  before — right  after  the  football 
game." 

"Well,  I  haven't  been  able  to  see  those  fellows 
yet." 

"What  fellows?" 

"Those  I  want  to  talk  to." 

"Can't  you  hurry  it  up,  Nick?  I  want  some 
money  the  worst  way — ten  or  fifteen  dollars  at 
least." 

The  two  were  alone,  down  at  the  old  boathouse, 
and  Jasniff  was  smoking  a  cigarette  on  the  sly. 
He  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke  to  the  ceiling. 

"Wonder  if  I  can  trust  you  to  keep  mum?"  he 
said,  slowly  and  deliberately. 

"About  what?" 

"About  a  little  plan  I've  got  to  make  some 
money." 

"Haven't  you  always  been  able  to  trust  me, 
Nick?" 

"Certainly,  but — this  is  out  of  the  ordinary." 


200     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  never  went  back  on  you  yet." 

"Will  you  promise  to  keep  silent  if  I  tell  you 
something?" 

"Yes." 

"I've  got  a  scheme  to  get  hold  of  several  hun- 
dred dollars." 

"That's  good." 

"It  will  take  some — er — quiet  work  on  the  part 
of  both  of  us  to  do  the  trick." 

"Well,  as  I  said  before,  I  am  with  you." 

"Can  I  trust  you  absolutely?"  demanded  Jasniff, 
looking  Plum  closely  in  the  face. 

"You  can." 

"Then  take  a  walk  and  we'll  talk  the  matter 
over.  But  remember,  if  you  say  a  word  to  any- 
body about  it — well,  you  had  better  not,  that's 
all!" 

They  walked  to  a  secluded  spot  and  there,  slowly 
and  cautiously,  Nick  Jasniff  unfolded  a  plot  to  get 
money  which  filled  Gus  Plum  with  curiosity,  fear, 
wonder,  and  fascination. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A    BOY  AND   A    MOTOR    CYCLE 

With  all  the  excitement  Dave  had  not  for- 
gotten his  studies  and  each  day  he  spent  all  the 
time  that  was  necessary  in  preparing  his  lessons. 
He  had  a  faculty  of  concentrating  his  mind  upon 
what  he  was  doing  and  this  made  learning  easy. 

"Going  in  for  the  medal  of  honor,  I  suppose," 
said  Roger  one  day,  as  he  observed  Dave  grinding 
away  at  a  Latin  exercise.  "Well,  if  you  win  it  I 
guess  you'll  deserve  it." 

"I  am  going  to  do  what  I  can,  Roger.  I  didn't 
come  to  Oak  Hall  just  to  cut  up." 

The  medal  of  honor  had  been  promised  by  Dr. 
Clay  to  the  pupil  who  should  stand  highest  in  les- 
sons and  deportment  at  the  end  of  the  term.  It 
was  a  beautiful  medal  of  solid  gold,  and  many 
students  secretly  hoped  to  win  it.  So  far  Polly 
Vane  was  in  the  lead,  with  Dave,  Buster  Beggs, 
Sam  Day,  Roger,  and  a  student  named  Langdale 
close  behind. 

"Langdale  says  he  is  going  to  win  or  die  in  the 
attempt,"   went   on   the   senator's   son.      "He   is 


202     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

studying  day  and  night,  and  so  far  his  deportment 
has  been  about  perfect." 

"Well,  mine  hasn't  been — at  least,  not  accord- 
ing to  Job  Haskers,"  answered  Dave.  "He  marks 
me  down  whenever  he  can." 

"He  does  that  to  all  of  us,"  said  Sam  Day,  who 
was  near.      "I  wish  he'd  mark  us  up  once." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  came  from 
Shadow  Hamilton,  who  was  resting  on  the  end  of  a 
bed.  "A  clothing  dealer  was  going  to  have  a  fire 
sale.  So  he  lit  some  damp  paper  in  his  stove  and 
turned  off  the  draught,  so  that  his  stock  got  all 
smoked  up.  Then  he  called  his  son  ?vIoses  up. 
'Make  out  new  brice  tickets,'  says  he  to  Moses. 
'All  right,  fader,'  says  Moses,  and  goes  to  work, 
and  the  next  day  he  put  out  suits  of  clothing  labeled 
like  this :  'Great  Fire  Sale !  Suits  marked  down 
from  $9.00  to  $7.98.'  Soon  a  man  came  along  to 
buy  a  suit.  'Why,'  says  he,  'that  suit  was  only 
$5.50  two  days  ago.'  'Yes,'  says  Moses.  'Vos 
it?  Veil,  ve  haf  der  fire  since,  and  now  der  suits 
vos  all  moth-broof !'  " 

"Phew!  that's  enough  to  drive  all  the  lessons 
from  a  fellow's  head!"  cried  Dave,  after  a  short 
laugh.     "Where  did  you  get  it,  Shadow?" 

"Maybe  he  picked  it  out  of  the  Old  Farmers' 
Almanack,"  said  Buster  Beggs. 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind,"  began  Shadow 
calmly.     "A  boy " 


A  BOY  AND  A  MOTOR  CYCLE        203 

"Not  to-day!"  interrupted  Roger.  "That's  the 
fiftieth  you've  told  this  week.  I'm  going  out  for 
a  spin,  boys." 

"Going  to  try  that  new  motor  cycle?"  queried 
Dave,  looking  up. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  don't  let  it  run  away  with  you,"  and 
Dave  smiled  broadly. 

"No  fear,"  said  Roger,  with  a  laugh,  and  left 
the  dormitory. 

The  senator's  son  had  received  a  new  motor 
cycle  the  day  before.  It  was  a  beautiful  nickel- 
plated  affair  and  Roger  was  very  proud  of  it.  He 
knew  a  little  about  motor  cycles,  so  it  did  not  take 
him  long  to  get  the  machine  in  trim  for  use.  He 
took  a  spin  up  and  down  the  road,  and  let  Dave  and 
some  others  try  it,  and  all  pronounced  it  a  beauty. 

Roger  was  soon  on  the  motor  cycle  and  speeding 
in  the  direction  of  Oakdale.  In  the  town  he  made 
a  few  small  purchases,  and  then  came  away  for  a 
spin  in  the  direction  of  Rockville,  taking  a  side 
road  which  he  thought  in  better  condition  than  the 
main  road. 

The  senator's  son  had  covered  a  mile  when  he 
saw  two  boys  on  bicycles  approaching  him.  He 
reduced  his  speed,  and  as  the  pair  came  closer  he 
recognized  Plum  and  Jasniff. 

"Got  your  motor  out,  eh?"  said  the  bully  of  Oak 
Hall,  rather  sourly. 


204     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Yes,"  returned  Roger,  briefly. 

"Can  you  get  it  to  work?" 

"The  machine  works  perfectly." 

"I'd  rather  have  my  bicycle,"  sneered  Jasniff. 
"That  thing  makes  too  much  noise  for  me." 

"So  would  I,"  added  Gus  Plum.  "Too  much 
noise  and  too  much  smell." 

"I'd  rather  have  the  motor  cycle,  so  there  you 
are,"  answered  the  senator's  son,  and  moved  on 
again,  while  the  others  did  the  same.  "I  guess  it's 
a  case  of  sour  grapes,"  he  told  himself. 

Roger  had  just  passed  a  bend  of  the  road  when 
something  happened  to  the  battery  which  supplied 
the  electric  spark  to  ignite  the  gasoline.  He  set 
the  motor  cycle  against  a  rock,  and  it  was  a  full 
quarter  of  an  hour  before  he  could  make  the  bat- 
tery work.  During  that  time  somebody  came 
through  the  bushes  near  him  and  looked  at  the 
youth,  but  Roger  took  no  notice. 

The  motor  cycle  ready  for  use  once  more,  the 
senator's  son  hopped  on  the  saddle  and  turned  on 
the  power.  All  seemed  to  go  well  and  presently, 
to  make  up  for  lost  time,  he  put  on  all  speed. 

"It  won't  do  to  be  late  for  supper,"  he  reasoned. 
"Haskers  will  catch  me  sure." 

He  passed  another  turn,  between  some  high 
bushes.  The  way  was  now  downhill,  leading  over 
a  small  stream  flowing  into  the  Leming  River. 
The  motor  cycle  took  the  down-grade  at  a  rapid 


A  BOY  AND  A  MOTOR  CYCLE        205 

rate  of  speed,  and  fearing  an  accident,  Roger  at- 
tempted to  turn  off  the  power  and  put  on  the  brake. 

To  his  horror  he  could  not  move  the  power 
lever,  which  had  become  caught  in  some  manner. 
The  motor  cycle  was  now  bounding  down  the  road 
at  a  terrific  rate  of  speed.  Just  ahead  was  the  lit- 
tle bridge.  Roger  gave  a  vain  tug  or  two.  Then 
the  machine  struck  the  rough  boards  of  the  bridge, 
made  a  turn  against  the  stone  wall,  and  heels  over 
head  the  senator's  son  went  sailing  over  the  stone 
wall  to  the  rocks  and  water  below ! 

It  was  a  terrible  fall,  much  worse  than  that  ex- 
perienced by  Dave  and  Babcock  when  they  had  run 
into  the  fallen  tree,  and  no  sooner  did  Roger  land 
than  his  senses  forsook  him.  His  legs  and  part  of 
his  body  went  into  the  water,  while  his  head  and 
arms  rested  on  some  sand. 

The  short  autumn  day  drew  to  a  close  and  Roger 
did  not  appear  at  Oak  Hall.  The  other  students 
went  to  supper  and  then  for  the  first  Dave  learned 
that  the  senator's  son  had  not  gotten  back. 

"Where  is  Master  Morr?"  demanded  Job  Has- 
kers,  severely. 

"He  went  out  on  his  new  motor  cycle,"  answered 
Dave.     "Perhaps  he  had  a  breakdown." 

"If  he  was  not  sure  he  could  get  back  in  time 
he  should  not  have  gone  out,"  snapped  the  dis- 
agreeable teacher. 

Supper  over,  some  of  the  students  retired  to 


206     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

their  dormitories  while  others  sought  the  library 
and  the  gymnasium.  Dave  and  Ben  looked  around 
for  Roger,  but  as  he  did  not  put  in  an  appearance 
they  obtained  permission  from  Andrew  Dale  to  go 
out  on  their  bicycles  and  make  a  hunt  for  the  miss- 
ing one. 

"He  must  be  somewhere  in  this  vicinity,"  said 
Dave. 

"He  said  he  was  going  to  Oakdale  and  would 
then  come  back  by  the  Cass  Brook  road,"  re- 
turned Ben. 

"Let  us  take  to  the  Cass  Brook  road  then,  Ben. 
Maybe  we'll  meet  him." 

With  their  bicycle  lamps  lit  and  turned  up 
brightly,  the  pair  set  off,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight 
of  Oak  Hall.  The  road  was  smooth  and  they 
made  rapid  progress.  Ben  took  to  one  side  of  the 
road  while  Dave  pursued  the  other.  All  was  dark 
and  quiet,  not  a  breath  of  air  stirring  the  almost 
leafless  trees. 

A  mile  covered,  they  slowed  down,  to  peer  into 
the  bushes  beside  the  road.  They  were  now 
within  half  a  mile  of  the  bridge  where  Roger  had 
taken  the  tumble. 

"Hello!  here  comes  somebody!"  cried  Dave, 
presently,  and  looked  ahead.  The  rays  of  the 
bicycle  lamp  fell  on  a  figure  covered  with  dirt  and 
dripping  wet.     "I  declare,  it's  Roger  !" 

Dave  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words  when  the 


A  BOY  AND  A  MOTOR  CYCLE        207 

figure  tottered  and  fell.  Riding  up,  the  two  boys 
dismounted  and  rushed  forward.  Roger  lay  in 
the  middle  of  the  road,  his  face  resting  on  one  arm. 

"Roger  what  is  it?"  asked  Dave.  "Are  you 
badly  hurt?" 

"I — I  took  a  header — over  the  bridge !"  gasped 
the  senator's  son,  when  he  could  speak.  "I — fell 
in  th — the  water!"  His  teeth  began  to  chatter. 
"My,  but  it  was  co — co — cold!" 

"Any  bones  broken?" 

"I — I  reckon  no — not.  But  I  am  awfully  we — 
weak!" 

"Where  is  the  motor  cycle?"  asked  Ben. 

"I— I  do— don't  know." 

"Here,  put  on  my  sweater,"  said  Dave,  and  has- 
tened to  take  off  that  which  was  wet.  "We  must 
get  him  to  the  Hall  somehow,"  he  added. 

"If  he  isn't  hurt  he  had  better  walk,"  returned 
Ben.     "It  will  help  to  get  his  blood  in  circulation." 

"Maybe  I  can  walk  if  you'll  help  me,"  answered 
Roger. 

The  two  bicycles  were  hidden  in  the  bushes  and 
Dave  got  on  one  side  of  the  senator's  son  and  Ben 
on  the  other.  Thus  supported,  the  sufferer  started 
again  for  Oak  Hall.  He  was  hurried  along  as 
fast  as  possible,  and  arrived  there  feeling  some- 
what warmer  than  when  discovered  by  Dave  and 
Ben.  Under  Dr.  Clay's  directions  he  was  put  to 
bed  and  given  some  hot  tea  to  drink.     Only  his 


208  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

left  hand  was  bruised  and  this  was  washed  and 
plastered  up. 

Having  gotten  Roger  to  Oak  Hall,  Dave  and 
Ben  received  permission  to  go  back  to  the  brook 
road  for  their  wheels.  They  found  the  bicycles 
where  they  had  left  them,  and  then  went  on  a  hunt 
for  Roger's  motor  cycle. 

"It  certainly  ought  to  be  at  the  bridge,"  said 
Ben. 

"If  it  didn't  blow  up,"  answered  Dave,  "or  run 
off  of  its  own  accord.  Roger  said  he  couldn't  shut 
off  the  power." 

"If  it  ran  off  alone  I  don't  think  it  would  go  very 
far,  Dave." 

The  bridge  reached,  they  looked  around  in  all 
directions  but  could  see  nothing  of  the  motor  cycle. 
They  went  down  to  where  Roger  had  landed  and 
saw  the  impression  of  his  body  and  feet  in  the  wet 
sand. 

"He  can  thank  his  stars  that  he  didn't  break  his 
neck,"  said  Dave.  "This  beats  the  fall  Paul  and 
I  took." 

"It's  queer  you  never  got  to  the  bottom  of  that 
accident,  Dave." 

"Maybe  I  will,  some  day.  I  am  certain  that 
tree  didn't  fall  of  itself." 

Having  spent  fully  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  look- 
ing for  the  motor  cycle  without  success,  there 
seemed  to  be  nothing  to  do  but  to  return  to  Oak 


A  BOY  AND  A  MOTOR  CYCLE        209 

Hall.  This  they  did,  and  stored  their  wheels  in 
the  room  set  apart  at  the  gymnasium  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

"Didn't  find  the  motor  cycle,  eh?"  said  Sam 
Day,  who  was  practising  on  the  rings.  "That  is 
certainly  queer." 

"Maybe  the  motor  cycle  was  stolen,"  suggested 
Shadow. 

"Who  would  steal  such  a  machine?"  asked  Ben. 
"Very  few  know  how  to  run  them." 

"They  might  have  taken  it  away  in  a  wagon. 
Some  people  are  mean  enough  to  steal  anything 
they  lay  hands  on." 

Dave  and  Ben  spent  some  time  in  cleaning  their 
bicycles  and  in  oiling  them.  Then  they  left  the 
gymnasium  in  company  with  Sam  Day  and  several 
others.  As  they  approached  the  Hall,  Macklin 
came  running  out. 

"Did  you  hear  the  news?"  cried  the  younger 
student. 

"News?"  queried  Dave.     "What  news?" 

"About  Roger  Morr?" 

"We  know  he  had  a  bad  tumble,  and  we  know 
we  can't  find  his  motor  cycle,"  said  Ben. 

"Oh,  so  the  machine  is  gone  too,"  went  on  Chip 
Macklin.     "Well,  that  certainly  beats  all!" 

"What  beats  all?"  asked  Dave. 

"This  whole  affair  about  Roger.  When  they 
put  him  to  bed  they  didn't  give  his  clothing  much 


210    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

attention.  Now  they  have  just  found  out  that  he 
either  lost  everything  he  had  or  else  he  was 
robbed." 

"Lost?  Robbed?"  cried  Dave.  "Are  you 
sure  of  this?" 

"Yes.     You  can  go  up  yourself  if  you  wish." 

"I  will,"  said  Dave,  and  ran  up  to  the  dormi- 
tory. Several  boys  were  present  and  also  Dr.  Clay 
and  Andrew  Dale. 

"This  is  remarkable  and  must  be  investigated," 
Dr.  Clay  was  saying.  "Ah,  here  is  Master  Por- 
ter now.     Did  you  find  the  motor  cycle?" 

"No,  sir,  it  wasn't  in  sight  anywhere.  Ben  and 
I  looked  high  and  low  for  it." 

"Then  that  must  have  been  stolen  too,"  said 
Andrew  Dale. 

"They  tell  me  Roger  was  robbed,"  said  Ben. 
"What  did  he  lose?" 

"Lost  a  whole  lot  of  things,"  replied  Roger 
himself.  "My  watch  and  my  diamond  stickpin, 
and  a  gold  ring,  some  loose  change,  and  forty  dol- 
lars that  father  sent  me  for  some  new  books  I've 
been  ordering !  Somebody  cleaned  me  out  for 
fair!"  And  the  senator's  son  spoke  very  discon- 
solately. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

WHAT   A    RUNAWAY    LED   TO 

The  news  that  Roger  had  been  robbed  while 
unconscious  spread  rapidly,  and  many  were  the 
speculations  as  to  who  had  done  the  wicked  deed. 

"I  suppose  it  was  somebody  who  just  happened 
to  come  along,"  said  Dave.  "But  what  a  mean 
thing  to  do !  That  person  did  not  know  but  that 
Roger  was  dying,  and  made  no  effort  to  assist 
him!" 

Roger's  story  was  a  brief  one.  How  long  he 
had  remained  unconscious  he  did  not  know.  He 
came  to  his  senses  with  a  shiver,  to  find  himself 
lying  on  some  rocks  under  one  end  of  the  stone 
bridge.  The  lower  portion  of  his  body  was  wet 
and  the  chill  had  aided  in  reviving  him.  When  he 
felt  strong  enough  he  had  crawled  up  to  the  road 
and  looked  for  his  motor  cycle.  Not  finding  the 
machine,  he  had  started  for  Oak  Hall  on  foot. 
He  felt  himself  growing  weaker  every  step  and  fell 
prostrate,  as  already  described,  just  as  Dave  and 
Ben  discovered  him. 

211 


212     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  am  awfully  glad  you  came  along,"  said  the 
senator's  son  to  his  two  chums.  "I  don't  know 
what  I  should  have  done  if  you  hadn't." 

"And  you  didn't  know  a  thing  about  being 
robbed,  then?"  queried  Ben. 

"No,  all  I  knew  was  that  I  was  cold  and  as  weak 
as  a  sick  cat,"  was  the  answer. 

A  hunt  was  made  for  the  robber,  and  the  stu- 
dents spent  several  hours  in  searching  around  the 
spot.  Nothing  was  found,  and  the  local  authori- 
ties were  notified. 

This  robbery,  coupled  with  those  that  had  gone 
before,  aroused  the  whole  community.  Many  felt 
that  they  were  no  longer  safe  in  their  homes,  and  a 
meeting  was  held  in  Oakdale  and  a  reward  of  two 
hundred  dollars  put  up  by  the  citizens  for  the  cap- 
ture and  conviction  of  the  offenders. 

"I  will  get  a  private  detective  to  look  into  this," 
said  Dr.  Clay  and  did  so.  The  detective,  a  quiet- 
looking  individual  named  Merivel,  arrived  the  next 
day  and  went  to  work  immediately.  But  the  task 
proved  too  much  for  him,  and  inside  of  a  week  he 
gave  it  up. 

"I  reckon  I  am  out  my  machine  and  my  valu- 
ables," said  Roger,  who  was  around  once  more  and 
as  well  as  ever.  "But  I  do  wish  I  could  lay  hands 
on  the  rascal  who  went  through  me !" 

The  days  slipped  by,  and  again  Dave  and  his 
chums  devoted  themselves  to  their  studies.     It  was 


WHAT  A  RUNAWAY  LED  TO  213 

now  growing  colder  and  there  was  a  suggestion  of 
snow  in  the  air. 

"It  won't  be  long  before  we  have  snow  and  ice," 
said  Sam.     "Hurrah  for  some  fine  skating  I" 

"And  snowballing,"  added  Buster.  "Don't 
forget  the  fun  we  had  last  year." 

"How  we  did  pelt  Pop  Swingly!" 

"AndoldHaskers!" 

"You've  got  to  be  careful  what  you  do  to  Has- 
kers,"  said  Shadow.  "He  is  just  watching  for  a 
chance  to  get  somebody  into  trouble." 

"Do  you  remember  how  Dave  beat  Plum  in  that 
race  on  the  ice?"  said  Roger.     "That  was  great!" 

"By  the  way,  Plum  is  cutting  quite  a  dash 
again,"  said  Buster.  "His  father  must  have  sent 
him  a  lot  of  spending  money." 

"Then  he  can  pay  up  those  bets  I  heard  about," 
said  Macklin. 

"He  has  paid  them  up,  so  I  was  told,"  replied 
another  student.  "But  I'll  wager  it  made  him 
mad  to  do  so." 

"He  had  no  business  to  bet  against  his  own 
school,"  said  Sam.  "It  was  a  mean  piece  of  busi- 
ness.    I've  cut  him  dead  for  doing  it." 

What  was  said  about  Gus  Plum  having  money 
was  true.  He  had  paid  all  his  debts  and  in  addi- 
tion had  spent  several  dollars  in  having  a  so-called 
"good  time"  with  Jasniff  and  Poole  in  a  tavern  on 
the    outskirts    of    Rockville.     But    he    was    not 


514    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

particularly  happy,  if  one  was  to  judge  by  the 
worried  and  scared  look  that  often  showed  itself  on 
his  face.  At  times  it  looked  as  if  he  wanted  to 
draw  away  from  Nick  Jasniff,  but  that  student 
clung  to  him  closer  than  ever. 

One  Friday  afternoon  Dave,  Roger,  and  Ben 
got  out  of  school  a  little  early  and  resolved  to  walk 
to  Oakdale,  just  for  the  exercise  and  to  buy  a  few 
things  of  trifling  importance.  They  were  soon  on 
the  way,  and  arriving  at  the  town  lost  no  time  in 
making  their  purchases.  In  Oakdale  they  met 
Mrs.  Fairchild  and  asked  her  if  she  had  heard  any- 
thing concerning  the  robbery  at  her  house. 

"Not  a  thing,"  said  the  widow;  "and  I  suppose 
I  never  shall." 

With  their  purchases  in  their  pockets,  the  stu- 
dents left  the  town  and  started  on  the  return  to  the 
academy.  As  it  was  nipping  cold,  they  walked 
rapidly,  only  stopping  on  the  way  to  pick  up  some 
chestnuts  which  were  handy. 

Each  had  his  pocket  filled  with  chestnuts,  when 
all  heard  a  commotion  around  a  bend  of  the 
road. 

"What's  that?"  questioned  Dave,  looking 
ahead. 

"Sounds  like  a  runaway!"  exclaimed  Ben. 

"If  it  is  we  had  better  be  getting  out  of  the 
way,"  said  Roger.  "I  have  no  desire  to  be  run 
over." 


WHAT  A  RUNAWAY  LED  TO  215 

The  noise  came  closer  and  from  a  distance  they 
heard  a  man  shouting  wildly. 

"Sthop  !  Sthop,  I  said !  Vot  you  vants  to  run 
avay  for,  annahow?" 

"It's  Zumm,  the  baker!"  cried  Dave.  "His 
horse  must  be  running  away!" 

The  sounds  of  hoofs  could  now  be  distinguished, 
and  in  a  moment  more  the  steed  came  in  sight, 
dragging  a  baker's  wagon  behind  him.  The  vehi- 
cle swayed  from  side  to  side,  threatening  to  go  over 
any  instant. 

"Lookout!" 

"He  is  running  away  and  no  mistake!" 

"Where  is  Zumm?" 

"He  must  have  been  thrown  out!" 

Nearer  and.  nearer  came  the  frightened  horse. 
He  was  less  than  a  hundred  feet  away  when  he 
swerved  to  one  side,  running  two  of  the  wheels  of 
the  wagon  into  some  low  bushes. 

"I  am  going  to  stop  him  if  I  can!"  cried  Dave, 
with  sudden  determination. 

Before  Ben  or  Roger  could  stop  him  he  was  out 
in  the  road  and  leaping  for  the  head  of  the  fright- 
ened horse.  He  caught  hold  of  the  bridle  and 
hung  fast. 

"You'll  be  killed,  Dave!" 

"Don't  go  under  his  feet!" 

"Sthop  him,  sthop  him!"  came  from  the  German 
baker  who  owned  the   outfit.     He  was   running 


2i6     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

after  the  horse  and  wagon  as  rapidly  as  his  some- 
what bulky  form  permitted. 

Dave  paid  no  attention  to  the  cries  but  clung 
fast.  .  The  horse  did  a  good  deal  of  dancing  and 
prancing  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  Finally  he  backed 
into  the  bushes  until  the  back  of  the  wagon  struck 
a  tree,  and  there  he  remained,  trembling  violently 
in  every  limb. 

"Good  for  you,  Dave!"  sang  out  Ben,  in  ad- 
miration. "I  must  say,  you  know  exactly  how  to 
handle  a  horse." 

"Pick  up  those  lines,"  panted  Dave,  and  step- 
ping forward,  Roger  did  so.  Then  Ben  came  up 
on  the  other  side  of  the  frightened  animal  and  soon 
they  had  the  horse  completely  subdued  and  stand- 
ing quiet. 

"Is  he — is  he  all  right,  yes?"  panted  the  German 
baker,  coming  up  all  out  of  breath. 

"I  think  so,"  answered  Dave.  "He  had  a  big 
scare,  though." 

"Yah,  dot's  so." 

"What  made  him  go  off?" 

"Noddings  but  a  biece  of  baber  in  der  road. 
Ven  he  see  dot,  he  got  so  oxcitements  like  neffer  vos 
alretty!" 

"Did  he  throw  you  out?"  asked  Ben. 

"No,  I  vos  got  out  to  bick  up  some  chestnuts, 
and  I  let  him  valk  along  py  himselluf .  Den  all  to 
vonce  he  kicks  up  his  heels  and  runds  avay  kvick! 


WHAT  A  RUNAWAY  LED  TO  217 

Next  dime  ven  I  go  avay  I  ton't  let  him  alone  a 
minute!" 

The  German  baker  was  anxious  concerning  his 
stock  in  trade,  and  while  the  boys  continued  to  hold 
the  horse  he  climbed  into  the  wagon  to  look  after 
his  bread,  and  pastries. 

"Chust  vot  I  dink!"  he  groaned.  "Dem  nice 
cakes  vos  all  cracked  alretty!  Now  vot  I  got  to 
do,  tole  me  dot?" 

"Cracked  cakes?"  queried  Roger,  with  a  grin. 

"Yah.  You  see,  I  vos  make  some  nice  cakes  for 
Mrs.  Dill's  barty.  Da  vos  sphoiled  and  now  I  haf 
to  make  more." 

"Don't  throw  them  away,"  said  Dave.  "We'll 
eat  a  cracked  cake  any  day." 

"So?  All  right,  my  poys.  You  do  me  a  favor 
to  sthop  mine  horse,  I  vos  gif  you  der  cakes,  yes," 
answered  Mr.  Zumm. 

He  was  a  liberal-hearted  man  and  without  delay 
brought  out  several  large  cakes,  somewhat  crushed 
and  broken  but  still  well  worth  eating.  The  sight 
of  such  good  things  set  Dave  to  thinking. 

"Fellows,  I've  got  an  idea!"  he  said.  "Let's 
buy  Mr.  Zumm's  cakes  and  pies  and  have  a  feast 
to-night!" 

"Just  the  thing!"  came  from  both  Ben  and 
Roger. 

"I  not  sell  you  dem  cakes,"  said  the  baker,  when 
the  matter  was  explained  to  him.     "You  vos  goot 


2i 8  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

poys,  yes,  and  I  like  you.  I  gif  you  four  pig  cakes, 
mit  der  pastepoard  poxes  to  carry  dem  in." 

"Thanks,  you  are  very  kind,"  said  Dave,  and 
the  others  said  the  same.  They  insisted,  however, 
upon  purchasing  several  pies,  and  also  some  choco- 
late eclairs.  The  goodies  were  put  into  several 
pasteboard  boxes,  and  then  the  boys  hurried  off 
towards  the  Hall  and  Mr.  Zumm  resumed  his 
journey  to  town. 

The  three  boys  had  some  little  difficulty  in  get- 
ting into  Oak  Hall  with  their  pasteboard  boxes. 
They  were  going  up  a  back  stairs  when  Nat  Poole 
caught  sight  of  them. 

"Hello,  something  doing,  I'll  be  bound!"  said 
Poole  to  himself.  "Guess  I'll  watch  and  see  what 
it  means!" 

He  crouched  out  of  sight  in  a  dark  angle  of  the 
hallway  and  allowed  Dave,  Roger,  and  Ben  to 
pass  him.  Then,  when  the  dormitory  door  was 
closed,  Nat  Poole  tiptoed  up  to  it. 

"Put  the  cakes  on  the  top  shelf,"  he  heard  Dave 
say.      "The  pies  can  go  over  in  that  corner." 

"A  spread !"  murmured  Nat  Poole  to  himself. 

"I  don't  think  we  ought  to  start  too  early,"  came 
in  Ben's  voice.  "Let  us  make  it  exactly  midnight 
just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing." 

"That  suits  me,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
"Who  is  to  be  invited?" 

This  was  talked  over,  and  it  was  decided  to  ask 


WHAT  A  RUNAWAY  LED  TO         219 

all  the  inmates  of  Dormitories  No.  11  and  12  and 
also  a  few  of  the  students  in  No.  8,  including  Hen- 
shaw  and  Babcock. 

"But  we  want  to  be  very  quiet  about  it,"  cau- 
tioned Dave.  "If  Haskers  should  hear  of  it,  he'd 
make  all  the  trouble  he  could  for  us." 

"Mum's  the  word,  and  I'll  tell  the  other  fel- 
lows so,"  answered  Roger. 

"Don't  let  Plum,  or  Poole,  or  Jasniff  get  an  ink- 
ling of  this,"  cautioned  Ben.  "They  would  like 
nothing  better  than  to  spoil  our  fun." 

"Yes,  we  certainly  must  be  careful  of  that 
crowd,"  answered  Dave. 

The  three  boys  remained  in  the  dormitory  for 
quarter  of  an  hour,  talking  matters  over  and  mak- 
ing their  arrangements  for  the  midnight  feast,  and 
Nat  Poole  took  in  every  word  that  was  said. 
Then,  as  Dave,  Ben,  and  Roger  started  to  come 
out  into  the  hallway,  Poole  ran  off  and  managed  to 
get  down  into  the  dining  hall  ahead  of  them. 

"I've  got  news,"  he  whispered  to  Gus  Plum, 
who  sat  beside  him.  "I'll  tell  you  all  about  it 
after  supper." 

"What  kind  of  news?"  questioned  the  bully. 

"About  a  feast.  The  Porter  crowd  expects  to 
pull  off  something  big  to-night,  and  I  know  exactly 
how  we  can  block  their  game  and  land  them  in  all 
kinds  of  trouble!" 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

MORE    PLANS   THAN   ONE 

Dave  and  his  chums  waited  impatiently  for  bed- 
time and  in  the  meanwhile  the  invitation  to  partici- 
pate in  the  coming  feast  was  extended  to  all  who 
had  been  mentioned  as  possible  guests.  All  ac- 
cepted with  pleasure,  and  Babcock  said  he  expected 
to  have  a  "whang-bang  time,"  whatever  that  might 
mean. 

About  nine  o'clock  Dave  and  Roger  got  ready  to 
retire  to  the  dormitory.  They  were  just  going  up- 
stairs when  Chip  Macklin  came  rushing  up  to 
them. 

"Come  with  me,"  cried  the  small  student,  in 
breathless  tones. 

"Where  to?"  questioned  Dave. 

"Never  mind — come  on,  and  be  quick  about  it." 

Seeing  that  something  unusual  was  up,  Dave  and 
Roger  followed  Macklin  to  a  back  hallway.  Here 
the  small  student  looked  around  cautiously,  to 
make  sure  that  they  were  not  being  observed. 

"It's  all  off  I"  were  Macklin's  first  words.    "The 

220 


MORE  PLANS  THAN  ONE  221 

sooner  you  get  rid  of  that  cake  and  stuff  the 
better!" 

"What  makes  you  say  that?"  demanded  Dave. 

"I  just  overheard  Nat  Poole  talking  to  Plum  and 
Jasniff.  They  mentioned  your  name  and  some- 
thing about  breaking  up  a  feast,  and  I  made  up  my 
mind  something  was  in  the  wind.  I  don't  like  to 
play  the  sneak  any  more" — Macklin  got  red  as  he 
said  this — "but  I  felt  I  had  to  in  this  case.  Poole 
told  his  cronies  all  about  the  stuff  hidden  in  our 
dormitories  and  about  the  feast  to  be  had  at 
midnight,  and  they  planned  to  go  to  old  Hask- 
ers  and  to  Dr.  Clay  and  have  us  all  caught  red- 
handed!" 

At  this  announcement  the  faces  of  Dave  and 
Roger  fell  for  a  moment. 

"So  you'd  better  get  the  stuff  out  of  the  way  at 
once,"  went  on  Chip  Macklin. 

"Tell  me  just  what  was  said,"  said  Dave,  after 
an  awkward  pause,  and  Macklin  did  as  requested. 
As  he  proceeded  Dave's  eyes  lit  up  in  sudden  merri- 
ment. 

"So  that  is  their  game,"  he  said.  "Well,  we'll 
pay  them  back, — just  wait  and  see!" 

"One  thing  is  certain,  the  feast  is  off,"  said 
Roger,  with  a  sigh. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Dave.  "Didn't  you 
hear  what  Chip  said?  They  are  going  to  rouse  up 
Haskers  and  Dr.  Clay  about  eleven  o'clock,  so  as 


222     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

to  catch  us  red-handed.  What's  the  matter  with 
having  our  little  jollification  before  that  time?" 

"Good  for  you,  Dave!  But  we'll  have  to  be 
careful " 

"Leave  it  to  me,  and  I'll  fix  the  whole  thing," 
replied  Dave. 

It  was  not  long  after  that  when  all  the  pupils  of 
Oak  Hall  retired  to  their  dormitories.  In  the 
meantime  Dave  lost  no  time  in  going  among  his 
chums  and  acquainting  them  with  the  new  order  of 
things. 

Dave's  plan  worked  like  a  charm.  He  right- 
fully guessed  that  Nat  Poole  would  be  listening  at 
one  of  the  dormitory  doors.  Accordingly  he  spoke 
in  a  loud  voice  after  the  door  was  locked. 

"We'll  have  to  wait  until  twelve  o'clock  before 
we  touch  a  mouthful,"  he  said.  "In  the  meantime 
let  us  fix  that  lemonade  and  those  other  things. 
All  of  the  other  fellows  will  come  in  at  exactly 
quarter  to  twelve.  The  feast  is  to  last  from  twelve 
to  one  o'clock." 

"I'm  sorry  I've  got  to  wait  until  twelve  o'clock," 
said  Ben,  in  an  equally  loud  tone.  "But  if  that  is 
the  rule  of  this  club,  why,  I'll  have  to  obey." 

"Those  other  good  things  won't  arrive  until 
quarter  to  twelve,"  said  Roger. 

So  the  talk  ran  on  until  the  boys  were  undressed 
and  ready  to  retire.  Then  the  lights  were  put  out 
and  all  became  quiet. 


MORE  PLANS  THAN  ONE  223 

In  the  darkened  hallway  Babcock  was  on  guard. 
Soon  he  came  in  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  face. 

"You've  fooled  'em  completely,"  he  whispered. 
"They  have  arranged  to  call  up  the  doctor  and  old 
Haskers  at  exactly  half-past  eleven,  and  they  are 
going  to  pounce  in  here  just  a  few  minutes  after 
twelve, — when  they  expect  everything  to  be  in  full 
blast.  Plum  says  he  will  help  smash  down  a  door, 
if  it  is  necessary." 

"Well,  it  won't  be  necessary,"  answered  Dave, 
dryly. 

As  soon  as  all  was  quiet,  the  good  things  were 
brought  forth  and  all  the  invited  guests  lost  no 
time  in  "making  themselves  at  home,"  as  Buster 
Beggs  expressed  it.  Growing  boys  always  have 
tremendous  appetites,  and  it  did  not  take  long  for 
the  larger  portion  of  the  cakes  and  pies  to  dis- 
appear. 

"Ah!"  sighed  Sam  Day,  at  last.  "I  must  let 
up,  I  am  too  full  for  utterance." 

"I  can't  eat  another  mouthful,"  said  Polly  Vane, 
as  he  finished  a  chocolate  eclair.  "It  was  delicious, 
though." 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  said 
Shadow,  who  sat  on  the  edge  of  a  table  eating  a 
quarter  of  a  pumpkin  pie.  "A  poor  boy  went  to  a 
Sunday  school  picnic,  and  when  eating  time  came 
he  filled  up  on  sandwiches  and  cake  and  lemonade 
until  he  was  ready  to  burst.     Then  they  brought 


224     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

around  some  ice-cream.  'Johnny,'  says  a  lady, 
'you'll  have  some  ice-cream,  won't  you?'  Johnny 
looked  at  her  for  a  minute,  his  face  full  of  sorrow. 
'Can't,'  says  he.  'Why  not?'  says  the  lady.  'Be- 
cause,' says  he,  'I — I  kin  melt  it,  ma'am,  but  I  can't 
swaller  it !'  "     And  a  laugh  went  up. 

"What  are  you  putting  away?"  asked  Roger  of 
Dave,  who  was  filling  two  large  paper  bags  with 
cake  crumbs  and  pie  crusts.  "Going  to  feed  the 
birds?" 

"No,  I've  got  a  little  plan.  Won't  these  do 
more  good  in  Plum's  dormitory  than  in  ours?" 

"Eureka !"  shouted  Buster,  and  then  checked 
himself.      "It's  a  splendid  plan!"  he  whispered. 

"Wait  till  they  go  off  to  rouse  up  the  doctor  and 
old  Haskers,"  said  Ben. 

"That's  what  I  had  in  mind  to  do." 

The  boys  assembled  went  over  the  dormitories 
with  care,  cleaning  up  every  evidence  of  the  feast. 
Everything  that  was  left  was  put  in  paper  bags, 
which  Dave  had  provided.  Then  came  a  rather 
tedious  wait  on  the  part  of  the  majority,  Dave  and 
Roger  meanwhile  slipping  out  to  learn  what  the 
enemy  was  doing. 

At  last  came  the  opportunity  for  which  Dave 
was  waiting.  He  saw  Poole,  Plum,  and  Jasniff 
leave  their  dormitory  and  hurry  towards  the  rooms 
occupied  by  the  master  of  the  Hall  and  his  second 
assistant. 


MORE  PLANS  THAN  ONE  225 

"There  they  go,  Dave !" 

"I  see  them,  Roger.  Quick!  back  to  the  room 
with  you  I" 

They  ran  to  their  own  dormitory  and  in  a  minute 
reappeared  v/ith  the  bags  of  broken  cake  and  pie 
crusts.  With  these  they  rushed  to  the  dormitory 
occupied  by  the  bully  of  the  school  and  his  cronies. 
The  door  was  ajar  and  all  was  dark  inside,  the  stu- 
dents not  in  Poole's  plot  being  sound  asleep. 

With  deft  hands  Dave  and  Roger  distributed 
the  broken  cake  and  the  pie  crusts,  putting  some  on 
a  table,  some  on  a  desk,  a  portion  in  the  beds  oc- 
cupied by  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff,  and  the  re- 
mainder on  the  window  sill  and  the  floor.  Then 
they  overturned  a  chair,  and  shoved  one  of  the 
beds  partly  against  the  door,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
readily  closed. 

"Now  for  the  alarm!"  cried  Dave,  and  lit 
several  gas  jets.  Then  he  and  Roger  set  up  a 
sudden  yell  and  ran  with  might  and  main  for  their 
own  room. 

Dr.  Clay  and  Job  Haskers  had  just  been 
awakened  by  Poole  and  his  cronies  when  the  alarm 
sounded.  This  aroused  Andrew  Dale  and  fully 
two  score  of  students,  and  all  rushed  into  the  hall- 
ways to  learn  what  it  meant. 

"A  feast  in  Dormitory  12,  eh?"  said  the  worthy 
master  of  Oak  Hall.  "I'll  see  about  this !"  And 
he  donned  his  dressing  gown. 


226     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

By  the  time  he  reached  Dormitory  1 2  the  whole 
school  was  in  an  uproar.  Some  thought  there 
might  be  a  fire,  and  there  was  great  excitement. 

"If  the  place  is  on  fire,  I  want  to  get  out!"  cried 
one  student. 

"There  is  no  fire!"  answered  Dave.  "I  think 
it's  a  false  alarm." 

"Didn't  the  alarm  come  from  Plum's  room?" 
asked  one  pupil. 

"I  think  it  did,"  answered  another. 

"Let  us  go  see  what  is  up !" 

Many  rushed  in  that  direction,  followed  by  An- 
drew Dale.  Then  came  a  cry  of  astonishment 
from  the  first  assistant. 

"What  does  this  mean?  A  feast,  I  de- 
clare." 

"A  feast!"  said  Dr.  Clay,  who  was  in  the  rear. 
"I  was  told  there  was  a  feast  going  on  in  Dormi- 
tory No.  12!" 

"You  can  see  for  yourself,  Doctor." 

"I  do  see,"  answered  the  master  of  the  Hall, 
severely.      "Plum,  what  does  this  mean?" 

"I — er — I  don't  know,"  stammered  the  bully. 
He  was  so  amazed  that  he  could  not  collect  his 
senses. 

"Poole,  can  you  tell  me  what  this  means?" 

"N — no,  sir.     I — I  haven't  had  a  thing,  sir/' 

"Jasniff,  what  about  this?" 

Nick  Jasniff  shrugged  his  shoulders.    "I  thought 


■ 

MORE  PLANS  THAN  ONE  227 

there  was  something  going  on  in  Porter's  room. 
Poole  said  so." 

"Well,  who  sounded  that  alarm  here?"  thun- 
dered Dr.  Clay. 

To  this  question  there  was  no  answer. 

"We  had  better  look  in  No.  12,"  suggested  Job 
Haskers,  who  had  just  come  up,  wrapped  in  a 
flannel  robe  and  wearing  slippers. 

The  doctor  and  his  assistants  turned  to  the 
dormitory  occupied  by  Dave  and  his  chums,  and 
then  looked  into  the  bedroom  adjoining.  Every- 
thing was  as  clean  and  orderly  as  could  be.  The 
boys  were  up,  but  they  were  not  dressed. 

"What's  the  row?"  asked  Buster  Beggs, 
sleepily.  "Oh,  Doctor,  is  that  you?  I  thought  I 
heard  some  noise." 

"Didn't  you  hear  the  alarm?"  asked  Dave.  "I 
thought  it  woke  up  everybody." 

The  doctor  said  little  but  looked  around  the 
rooms  with  care,  and  so  did  Job  Haskers. 

"Some  mistake  evidently,"  muttered  the  as- 
sistant. 

"I  am  going  to  find  out  what  the  crumbs  in  that 
other  dormitory  mean,"  answered  Dr.  Clay. 

He  passed  out,  and  meeting  Poole  in  the  hall- 
way caught  the  pupil  by  the  shoulder. 

"Just  come  with  me,"  he  said,  and  led  the  way 
back  to  the  room  Nat  occupied  with  his  cronies. 
"Now,  explain  this !"  he  demanded. 


228     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Of  course  poor  Nat  Poole  could  not  explain,  and 
neither  could  Plum  nor  Jasniff.  They  tried  to  tell 
their  story,  but  for  once  the  doctor  was  too  im- 
patient to  listen. 

"As  there  was  no  cause  for  that  alarm,  I  want 
you  all  to  go  to  bed,"  said  he,  after  listening  to  a 
few  words.  "It  is  midnight  and  I  want  all  of  you 
to  get  your  night's  rest.  In  the  morning  I'll  make 
an  investigation." 

"What  of  this  muss?"  faltered  Poole. 

"Clean  it  up,  every  bit  of  it !"  thundered  the  doc- 
tor, and  passed  out  and  to  his  own  room  once  more. 

"I  won't  touch  the  stuff!"  snarled  Nat  Poole. 

"Neither  will  I,"  came  from  Plum. 

"Nor  I,"  added  Jasniff. 

"Are  you  going  to  disobey?"  demanded  Job 
Haskers,  who  had  remained  on  the  scene. 

His  manner  was  so  menacing  that  the  three  stu- 
dents shrank  before  him. 

"It  wasn't  our  fault "  began  Plum. 

"Enough.  I  can  see  through  your  doings. 
You  tried  to  get  others  into  trouble  to  hide  your 
own  tracks.  This  plot  will  not  work  with  me.  In 
the  morning  you  must  clean  this  apartment 
thoroughly,  or  I  will  punish  you  severely!"  And 
having  thus  delivered  himself  Job  Haskers  stalked 
off,  leaving  Plum,  Poole,  and  Jasniff  the  maddest 
students  Oak  Hall  had  ever  known. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   FIGHT   IN  THE   GYMNASIUM 

"This  is  some  more  of  Porter's  doings," 
growled  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall,  when  he  and  his 
cronies  found  themselves  alone. 

"That's  it,"  agreed  Jasniff.  "Confound  him, 
I'd  like  to  wring  his  neck!" 

"I  suppose  they  had  their  feast  on  the  quiet," 
grumbled  Poole.  "We  were  foolish  that  we  did 
not  watch  them  more  closely." 

The  three  went  to  bed  and  in  the  morning  set  to 
work  to  clean  up  the  dormitory.  Then  they  had 
to  go  downstairs,  to  be  interviewed  by  Job  Has- 
kers,  who  gave  them  some  extra  lessons  to  learn, 
as  a  punishment.  He  would  listen  to  no  explana- 
tion from  them,  happening  to  be  in  a  thoroughly 
bad  humor  himself. 

The  next  few  days  proved  unusually  cold,  and 
then  came  a  snowstorm  which  covered  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  The  students  got 
as  much  fun  out  of  the  downfall  as  possible,  snow- 
balling each  other  with  great  glee.    They  also  took 

229 


230     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

shots  at  Pop  Swingly  and  Horsehair  while  the  pair 
were  engaged  in  cleaning  off  the  walks. 

"Hi!  hi!  stop  that!"  roared  Swingly,  as  a  snow- 
ball from  Ben  took  him  in  the  back.  Then  one 
from  Roger  knocked  off  his  hat.  At  the  same  time 
Dave,  rushing  by,  threw  some  loose  snow  down 
Jackson  Lemond's  back. 

"Whow!"  spluttered  the  driver,  dropping  his 
broom  and  working  at  his  neck.  "Who  did  that? 
Birr !  it's  as  cold  as  a  cake  o'  ice !"  And  he  began 
to  shiver  and  dance  around. 

"This  weather  will  surely  make  ice,"  said  Sam, 
and  he  was  right,  for  that  night  several  inches  of 
ice  formed  on  the  river,  and  this  made  all  the  stu- 
dents look  forward  eagerly  to  the  time  when  there 
would  be  skating. 

Frank  Bond  had  quite  recovered  from  the  shock 
he  had  received  at  the  hands  of  Plum  and  his  co- 
horts. But  he  was  still  the  pale,  delicate,  and  nerv- 
ous boy  as  of  old  and  shrank  from  contact  with  the 
more  boisterous  students.  He  appreciated  what 
Dave  and  his  chums  had  done  for  him  and  did  his 
best  to  give  the  bully  of  the  Hall  a  wide  berth. 
He  was  a  studious  lad,  and  soon  a  warm  friendship 
sprang  up  between  him  and  Polly  Vane  and  they 
often  studied  their  lessons  together,  Polly  giving 
the  younger  lad  all  the  assistance  he  could. 

During  those  days  Dave  looked  eagerly  for  let- 
ters from  the  Wadsworths,  Caspar  Potts,  and  his 


THE  FIGHT  IN  THE  GYMNASIUM      231 

Uncle  Dunston.  The  letters  came  and  were  full 
of  kind  words  and  best  wishes,  yet  the  communica- 
tion from  his  uncle  filled  him  with  anxiety.  In  part 
this  letter  read  as  follows : 

"Strange  as  it  may  appear,  I  have  not  yet  re- 
ceived a  line  from  your  father  or  your  sister  Laura. 
I  cannot  imagine  where  they  can  be  that  they  do 
not  send  word  of  some  kind.  If  they  had  received 
even  one  letter  from  me  concerning  you,  I  feel  sure 
your  father  would  not  lose  a  moment  in  answering. 
I  have  sent  to  a  dozen  places  for  information,  but 
all  in  vain." 

"This  is  certainly  a  mystery,"  Dave  said  to 
Roger.     "What  do  you  make  of  it?" 

"Oh,  I  shouldn't  worry  too  much,"  answered  the 
senator's  son,  hopefully.  "Your  father  and  sister 
are  probably  traveling  in  some  out-of-the-way  place 
in  Europe  where  the  letters  and  cablegrams  haven't 
reached  them." 

"Waiting  is  very  hard,  Roger." 

"I  know  it  must  be.  I  suppose  you  want  to 
know  what  your  father  and  sister  are  like." 

"That's  it,  and  I  want  to  be  with  them,  too,"  an- 
swered the  former  poorhouse  youth. 

Dave  wanted  to  find  Ben,  to  get  a  book  the  latter 
had  been  reading.  He  was  told  that  Ben  was 
down  to  the  gymnasium  and  so  strolled  in  that 


232     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

direction.  The  building  was  almost  deserted,  not 
more  than  half  a  dozen  students  being  present. 

In  one  corner  was  Gus  Plum  and  not  far  away 
Jasniff  lounged  on  a  bench.  Between  the  pair 
stood  Frank  Bond,  his  face  having  a  white  and 
scared  look  upon  it. 

"Please,  Plum,  I  don't  care  to  do  such  things," 
Frank  was  saying.     "I'd  rather  you'd  excuse  me." 

"You'll  do  what  I  want  you  to  do!"  answered 
Plum,  brutally.     "You  can't  back  out  now." 

"But  I  don't  want  to "  began  the  small  boy, 

when  of  a  sudden  the  bully  of  Oak  Hall  caught 
him  by  the  ear. 

"See  here,  you  imp,  you  listen  to  me!"  snarled 
Plum.  "I  haven't  forgotten  what  trouble  you  got 
me  into  before.     Now  you  mind  me " 

"Oh,  let  go,  please  let  go!"  screamed  Frank. 
"Don't  pull  my  ear  off!" 

He  tried  to  break  away,  but  the  bully  held  him 
fast.  The  next  moment,  however,  Dave  stepped 
between. 

"Plum,  I  want  you  to  let  Frank  alone,"  said 
Dave,  quietly  but  firmly,  and  at  the  same  time  look- 
ing the  bully  squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"Look  here,  this  is  none  of  your  affair,"  blus- 
tered Plum. 

"Let  him  go,  I  say — and  at  once,"  and  now 
Dave  clenched  his  fists. 

"You  want  more  trouble  with  me,  eh?"  growled 


THE  FIGHT  IN  THE  GYMNASIUM      233 

Plum,  releasing  the  small  boy  and  sticking  his  chin 
in  Dave's  face. 

"No,  I  do  not  want  trouble,  but  I  am  able  to 
meet  it  if  it  comes,"  answered  Dave,  not  budging 
an  inch.  "You  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  bulldoze 
such  a  small  chap  as  Frank.  Why  don't  you  leave 
him  alone,  as  the  doctor  told  you  to  do?" 

"See  here,  I  don't  want  you  to  preach  to  me!" 
roared  Plum.  "I  know  my  own  business  and  I 
don't  want  you  to  put  in  your  oar!" 

"That's  the  talk,"  came  from  Jasniff. 

Instantly  Dave  swung  around  on  his  heel. 

"This  is  certainly  none  of  your  business,  Jasniff," 
he  said,  coldly. 

"Ain't  it?  Well,  Gus  is  my  particular  friend, 
and  what  concerns  him  concerns  me,"  blustered 
Jasniff. 

"Oh,  Dave,  let  us  go  away,"  whispered  Frank, 
growing  more  frightened  than  ever. 

"You  can  go  away  if  you  wish,  Frank.  I  am 
not  afraid  of  these  two  bullies;  Plum  knows  that, 
even  if  Jasniff  does  not." 

At  this  home  thrust  Gus  Plum  winced,  for  he 
had  not  forgotten  the  drubbing  received  from 
Dave  in  times  gone  by.  Jasniff,  however,  was  un- 
dismayed, and  striding  closer,  he  pushed  in  between 
Plum  and  Dave. 

"I've  heard  of  the  unfair  advantage  you  once 
took  of  Gus,  but  you  can't  take  such  an  advantage 


234     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

of  me,"  he  said,  loudly.     "I  am  not  afraid  of  any- 
body in  this  school,  and  I  want  you  to  know  it." 

His  manner  was  so  offensive  that  it  caused  the 
quick  blood  to  rush  to  Dave's  face.  Plum  fell 
back  and  so  did  Frank  Bond.  There  was  a  mo- 
ment of  suggestive  silence. 

"Jasniff,  I  never  took  any  unfair  advantage  of 
Plum,  and  everybody  in  this  school  knows  it,"  said 
Dave,  steadily.  "Plum  is  a  bully, — and  you  ap- 
pear to  be  built  the  same  way." 

"So  I'm  a  bully,  eh?"  stormed  Nick  Jasniff,  put- 
ting up  his  fists. 
."You  are." 

"Do  you  want  me  to  fight  you?" 

"No,  I'd  prefer  not  to  dirty  my  hands  on 
you." 

"Maybe  you  think  you  can  lick  me?" 

"I  am  not  doing  any  thinking  on  that  subject." 

"You  can't  talk  to  me  like  this — I  won't  allow 
it,"  stormed  Jasniff,  putting  up  his  fists  again.  "If 
you  want  to  fight,  say  so!"  So  speaking,  he  gave 
Dave  a  sudden  shove  that  sent  him  up  against 
Frank  Bond. 

"Oh,  Dave,  don't  let  him  hit  you!"  gasped  the 
little  lad.     "He  is  so  big  and  strong " 

Dave  did  not  answer — indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if 
he  heard  the  words.  With  a  quick  leap  forward, 
he  caught  Nick  Jasniff  by  both  arms  and  backed 
him  against  the  side  of  the  building. 


THE  FIGHT  IN  THE  GYMNASIUM      235 

"Let  go  I"  screamed  Jasniff,  in  a  rage.  "Let 
go,  I  say!" 

"Listen  to  me,  Jasniff,"  returned  Dave,  still 
holding  the  squirming  student.  "I  don't  want  to 
fight,  but  if  you  attack  me,  I'll  not  only  defend  my- 
self, but  I'll  give  you  the  worst  thrashing  you  ever 
had  in  your  life.  I  understand  you  thoroughly. 
You  are  not  only  a  bully  but  worse.  Why  Dr. 
Clay  allows  you  to  remain  here  I  don't  know.  I 
want  you  to  understand  once  for  all  you  can't  bull- 
doze me." 

"That's  the  talk!"  said  Shadow,  who  had 
walked  up. 

"Make  him  keep  his  distance,  Dave,"  added 
Buster,  who  was  with  the  youth  who  loved  to  tell 
stories. 

"Bulldoze  you?"  stormed  Nick  Jasniff.  "I'll 
show  you  what  I'll  do — you  poorhouse  rat !  I'll 
make  mincemeat  of  you !' 

So  speaking,  he  tore  himself  loose  from  Dave 
and  backed  away  a  few  steps.  Then,  with 
clenched  fists,  he  rushed  in  and  aimed  a  heavy  blow 
at  Dave's  face. 

The  fist  struck  Dave's  ear,  for  the  latter  did 
what  he  could  to  dodge.  Then  came  another  blow 
on  the  shoulder  and  one  on  the  chin,  all  delivered 
with  lightning-like  rapidity.  Nick  Jasniff  was  a 
boxer,  and  could  use  his  fists  better  than  he  could 
learn  his  lessons. 


236     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Good!"  shouted  Gus  Plum,  gleefully.  "That's 
the  way  to  do  it,  Nick !" 

"Knock  him  out!"  added  Nat  Poole,  but  keep- 
ing safely  in  the  background. 

Dave  backed  away  a  step  or  two  and  again  Jas- 
niff came  at  him,  hitting  him  a  light  blow  in  the 
arm.  Then  the  boxer  struck  out  again  for  Dave's 
face. 

But  this  blow  did  not  land.  Instead,  Dave 
leaped  to  one  side  and  struck  out  himself,  hitting 
Jasniff  in  the  left  ear.  This  was  followed  by  a  tap 
on  the  chin  and  another  in  the  ribs.  Jasniff  tried 
to  land  on  Dave's  chest,  but  failed,  and  Dave  came 
back  once  more  with  a  crack  on  his  opponent's  nose 
that  caused  the  blood  to  spurt. 

"A  fight!     A  fight!" 

"Look  at  that  blow!" 

"Jasniff  is  quick,  ain't  he?" 

"First  blood  for  Dave  Porter !" 

Again  the  two  boys  went  at  it,  and  for  several 
minutes  blows  were  given  and  taken  with  remark- 
able rapidity.  With  his  skill  as  a  boxer,  Jasniff 
had  anticipated  an  easy  victory;  he  was  astonished 
at  the  manner  in  which  Dave  parried  some  of  his 
blows.  Around  and  around  the  gymnasium  floor 
circled  the  two  boys,  and  as  the  shouting  grew 
louder  the  crowd  increased. 

The  blood  was  now  flowing  not  alone  from  Jas- 
niff's  nose  but  also  from  a  scratch  on  Dave's  chin. 


THE  FIGHT  IN  THE  GYMNASIUM      237 

A  few  more  passes  and  the  two  clinched,  Jasniff 
getting  Dave's  head  under  his  arm.  But  with  a 
sudden  turn  Dave  cleared  himself,  and  hit  his  op- 
ponent in  the  teeth,  again  drawing  blood.  Wild 
with  rage,  Jasniff  threw  prudence  to  the  winds  and 
leaped  forward  literally  to  crush  the  youth  who 
dared  oppose  him. 

To  him  who  loses  his  wits  in  such  a  situation  as 
this,  all  is  lost.  Blinded  by  rage  Jasniff  forgot  to 
guard  himself  and  in  a  trice  received  a  blow  in  the 
left  eye  that  made  him  see  stars.  Then,  as  he 
plunged  forward  again,  another  swift  and  heavy 
blow  hit  him  squarely  on  the  chin.  His  head  went 
up  and  back  with  a  jerk,  his  form  swayed  from 
side  to  side,  and  down  he  went  on  the  floor  with  a 
thud,  and  lay  there  like  a  log. 

"My!  what  a  blow!" 

"Jasniff  is  knocked  out  clean  and  clear!" 

"I  never  saw  anything  like  it  in  my  life !" 

So  the  cries  ran  on,  while  Nick  Jasniff  lay  where 
he  had  fallen.  For  the  moment  nobody  ap- 
proached the  prostrate  youth,  then  Plum  stepped 
to  his  side,  shaking,  he  knew  not  why. 

"Nick!  Nick!"  he  called,  softly,  as  he  raised  the 
fallen  one's  head.     "I  say,  Nick!" 

"Sh — shall  I  get  some  water?"  faltered  Nat 
Poole.     He  too  was  shaking. 

"Yes." 

While  the  water  was  being  brought,  Jasniff  was 


238     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

helped  to  a  sitting  position.  He  was  still  all  but 
overcome.  His  cronies  bathed  his  face  and  did 
what  they  could  to  bring  him  around.  In  the 
meantime  Dave  and  his  friends  withdrew  to  an- 
other corner  of  the  gymnasium. 

"So  he  knocked  me  out,  eh?"  snarled  Jasniff, 
when  he  was  able  to  speak.  "Just  wait,  I'll  fix 
him  yet!" 

"What,  you're  not  going  to  fight  again?"  asked 
Plum,  in  astonishment. 

"Ain't  I?"  snarled  Nick  Jasniff.  "I'll  either 
lick  him,  or  he'll  kill  me !" 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    NICK   JASNIFF 

"Here  comes  Jasniff  again!"  exclaimed  Shadow. 
"He  looks  mad  enough  to  eat  you  up,  Dave!" 

"I  thought  he  was  done  for,"  said  Ben,  who  had 
been  wiping  the  blood  from  Dave's  chin. 

The  crowd  parted  as  the  boy  who  had  been 
knocked  out  strode  forward.  His  gait  was  un- 
steady and  from  his  eyes  there  gleamed  a  wild  fire 
awful  to  behold. 

"Thought  you  had  got  rid  of  me,  eh?"  he  cried. 
"Well,  I  am  not  done  for  yet !"  And  with  this  he 
struck  Dave  in  the  shoulder. 

"If  you  want  more  you  shall  have  it,  Jasniff !" 
retorted  Dave,  and  struck  out  in  return.  Then  the 
blows  came  as  rapidly  as  before.  Dave  was  hit 
twice  in  the  chest  and  came  back  with  a  crack  on 
Jasniff's  ear  and  one  in  the  right  eye  that  made  the 
youth  see  more  stars  than  ever.  Then,  as  they 
circled  around  the  floor,  Dave  watched  his  chance 
and  hit  his  opponent  once  more  in  the  nose,  causing 
him  to  slip  and  pitch  over  on  his  side. 

"Another  knockdown!" 

239 


240     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Jasniff,  you  had  better  give  it  up." 

"Porter  has  the  best  of  you,  Nick." 

If  ever  a  boy  was  mad  that  boy  was  Nick  Jasniff. 
Half  blinded  from  the  blow  in  the  eye  he  rolled 
over  and  got  up  on  his  knees.  Then  he  leaped  to 
his  feet  and  ran  to  the  wall  of  the  gymnasium. 

"I'll  fix  you!  I'll  fix  you!"  he  snarled,  and 
pulled  from  its  resting  place  a  wooden  Indian  club 
weighing  at  least  three  pounds.  "You  shan't  crow 
over  Nick  Jasniff,  not  much !" 

"Hold  up,  what  are  you  going  to  do?"  cried 
Ben,  who  stood  near. 

"I'm  going  to  smash  his  head  for  him!" 
answered  Jasniff,  and  before  anybody  could  stop 
him  he  made  a  dash  for  where  Dave  was  standing. 
He  swung  the  Indian  club  around  so  recklessly 
that  the  crowd  parted  right  and  left  to  let  him 
pass. 

Dave  saw  him  approach  and  for  the  moment 
hardly  knew  what  to  do.  He  had  not  dreamed  of 
such  unfair  play.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  Jasniff 
was  in  a  frame  of  mind  fit  for  any  foul  deed. 

"Don't!"  he  cried,  as  the  half-crazed  lad  leaped 
before  him.  "Stop,  I  tell  you  !"  And  then  as  the 
Indian  club  was  swung  over  his  head,  he  leaped  to 
one  side  and  caught  the  other  boy  around  the  waist 
with  both  arms.      "Drop  that  club,  you  brute!" 

"Drop  the  club!  Drop  the  club!"  came  from 
all  sides,   and  in   a  twinkling  Ben   and  Shadow 


DISAPPEARANCE  OF  NICK  JASNIFF      241 

leaped  in  and  wrenched  the  Indian  club  from  Jas- 
niff's  grasp. 

"What  an  outrage!" 

"Jasniff,  you  ought  to  be  lynched  for  that!" 

"This  is  a  young  gentlemen's  school,  not  a  resort 
for  toughs." 

So  the  cries  ran  on.  Jasniff  tried  to  speak,  but 
nobody  would  listen  to  him,  and  even  Plum  and 
Poole  knew  enough  to  keep  silent.  Dave  retained 
his  hold  a  few  seconds  and  then  pushed  his  op- 
ponent from  him. 

"I  am  done  with  you,  Jasniff,"  said  he,  in  a  clear, 
hard  voice.  "Done  with  you,  understand?  I'll 
never  dirty  my  hands  on  you  again.  If  you  dare 
to  molest  me  in  the  future,  I'll  hand  you  over  to 
the  police.  They  are  the  only  ones  to  handle  such 
a  coward  and  brute  as  you." 

Everybody  heard  the  words  and  many  ap- 
plauded them.  Plum  and  Poole  fell  back  and  the 
face  of  each  grew  scarlet.  Nick  Jasniff  stood 
stock  still,  breathing  heavily.  He  wanted  to  do 
something  terrible, — but  he  did  not  dare.  Dave 
was  pale  and  his  jaws  were  firmly  set.  The  tension 
all  around  was  extreme. 

Then  Jasniff  moved,  turning  his  back  on  Dave. 
He  looked  at  Plum  and  Poole,  but  they  cast  their 
eyes  to  the  ground.  The  crowd  parted  and  Jas- 
niff walked  away,  slowly  and  unsteadily.  In  a 
minute  he  left  the  gymnasium,  slamming  the  door 


242  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

after  him.  There  was  a  long  sigh  of  relief  over 
his  departure. 

"Dave,  I  really  think  he  meant  to  kill  you  !"  said 
Ben,  coming  up  and  clutching  his  chum  by  the  arm. 

"That's  what  he  did!"  said  Buster  Beggs. 
"His  eyes  had  a  terrible  look  in  them." 

"Perhaps  you  are  mistaken,"  answered  Dave, 
in  an  odd  voice  that  sounded  strange  even  to  him- 
self. "But  I — well,  I  don't  propose  to  fight  a  fel- 
low with  Indian  clubs." 

"He  ought  to  be  bounced  out  of  this  school," 
said  Luke  Watson. 

"I'll  never  speak  to  him  again,"  asserted  Bab- 
cock. 

"Wonder  what  Dr.  Clay  will  say  when  he  hears 
of  this  fight?"  said  Roger,  who  had  come  in  during 
the  wind-up.     "I  suppose  he  won't  like  it  at  all." 

"He  can't  blame  Dave,"  answered  Ben. 

"Porter  started  the  quarrel  by  interfering  with 
me,"  said  Gus  Plum. 

"What,  Gus,  do  you  stand  up  for  Jasniff  ?"  de- 
manded Shadow. 

"Well,  I— er " 

"I  don't  see  how  anybody  can  stand  up  for  Jas- 
niff," said  Messmer.  "I  used  to  go  with  him,  but 
I  am  glad  now  that  I  cut  him." 

"I  am  not  standing  up  for  that  Indian  club  af- 
fair," said  Gus  Plum,  lamely,  and  walked  away, 
followed  by  Nat  Poole. 


DISAPPEARANCE  OF  NICK  JASNIFF      243 

"Oh,  Dave,  you  did  fight  him  most  beautifully," 
cried  Frank  Bond,  his  delicate  face  glowing.  "Oh, 
I  wish  I  was  as  strong  as  you  !" 

"Perhaps  you  will  be  some  day,  Frank.  Go  out 
in  the  fresh  air  all  you  can,  and  take  plenty  of 
exercise  here  in  the  gym.  Do  you  know  what 
made  me  strong?  Working  on  a  farm, — cutting 
wood  and  plowing,  and  things  like  that." 

Dave  retired  to  the  washroom  and  there  bathed 
his  face  and  hands,  and  combed  his  hair.  The 
blood  soon  stopped  flowing  from  his  chin  and  the 
scratch  showed  but  little.  Many  wanted  to  con- 
gratulate him  on  his  victory,  but  he  motioned  them 
away. 

"Thank  you,  boys,  but  I  don't  want  you  to  do 
that,"  he  said,  quietly.  "I  want  to  tell  you  plainly 
that  I  don't  believe  in  fighting  any  more  than  Dr. 
Clay  does.  It's  brutal  to  fight,  and  that  is  all 
there  is  to  it.  But  every  fellow  ought  to  know 
how  to  defend  himself,  and  when  he  is  attacked  as 
I  was  he  has  got  to  do  the  best  he  can  for  himself. 
If  Jasniff  hadn't  pitched  into  me  roughshod  I 
should  never  have  fought  with  him." 

"Do  you  really  mean  that,  Porter?"  asked  a 
voice  from  the  other  side  of  the  washroom,  and 
Andrew  Dale  stepped  out  from  behind  a  high 
roller-towel  rack.  The  first  assistant  teacher  had 
come  in  just  as  the  encounter  was  ending. 

"Oh,  is  that  you,  Mr.  Dale?     Yes,  sir,  I  do 


244     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

mean  it,"  answered  Dave.  "Did  you  see  the  fight, 
may  I  ask?" 

"I  saw  Jasniff  attack  you  with  the  Indian  club, 
but  I  was  too  far  off  to  take  a  hand.  You  say  he 
attacked  you  first?" 

"He  did,  and  some  of  those  here  can  prove  it." 

"That's  right,"  said  several  of  the  students. 

"What  was  the  quarrel  about?" 

"It  began  between  Plum  and  myself.  Plum  was 
browbeating  Frank  Bond  and  I  told  him  to  stop. 
Then  Jasniff  put  in  his  say,  and  I  told  him  it  was 
none  of  his  business.  Then  he  wanted  to  know  if 
I  wanted  to  fight,  and  I  told  him  I  preferred  not  to 
dirty  my  hands  on  him.  Then  he  shoved  me  and 
struck  me  two  or  three  times.  Then — well,  then  I 
sailed  in  and  knocked  him  down  twice.  Then 
he  got  the  Indian  club,  and  you  know  the 
rest." 

"That's  the  truth  of  it,  Mr.  Dale,"  said  Frank. 

"Absolutely,"  added  another  student,  who  had 
seen  the  whole  affair. 

"Well,  Porter,  you  had  better  come  to  the  doc- 
tor's office  and  we'll  investigate  further,"  said  the 
teacher,  and  a  little  later  Dave  found  himself  con- 
fronting the  master  of  Oak  Hall.  He  told  his 
story  in  a  straightforward  manner  and  mentioned 
the  names  of  several  who  had  witnessed  the  affair. 
Then  he  was  told  he  could  go,  and  Frank  was 
called  in,  and  then  Ben,  Shadow,  Buster,  and  later 


DISAPPEARANCE  OF  NICK  JASNIFF      245 

still  Plum  and  Poole.  The  doctor  questioned  all 
closely,  and  finally  sent  Andrew  Dale  after  Jasniff, 
but  the  youth  could  not  be  found. 

"Has  he  left  the  school  grounds?"  questioned 
Dr.  Clay. 

"I  could  not  find  that  out,"  answered  the  assist- 
ant. "Nobody  seems  to  have  seen  him  since  he 
left  the  gymnasium." 

"Well,  as  soon  as  he  shows  himself,  send  him  to 
me." 

"I  will,  sir." 

"From  what  I  can  learn,  he  is  a  thoroughly  bad 
boy,"  went  on  the  master  of  Oak  Hall,  beginning 
to  pace  the  floor  of  his  office.  "I  must  confess  I 
hardly  know  what  to  do  with  him." 

"He  is  a  bad  boy,  no  doubt  of  that,"  answered 
the  teacher.  "And  he  has  a  bad  influence  on  some 
of  the  other  boys." 

"You  mean  Plum  and  Poole?" 

"I  do." 

"I  believe  you  are  right.  Do  you  think  he 
ought  to  be  sent  from  the  school?" 

"Yes,  unless  he  will  make  an  earnest  endeavor 
to  mend  his  ways,  Doctor." 

"There  is  one  trouble  in  the  way,  Mr.  Dale. 
His  folks  are  now  in  Europe  for  the  benefit  of 
Mrs.  Jasniff's  health.  If  I  send  him  off,  he  will 
have  no  place  to  go  to." 

"You  can  write  to  his  father  explaining  the  situa- 


246     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

tion.  He  may  write  to  his  son  and  that  may  help 
matters." 

"I  have  already  determined  to  send  a  letter. 
But  Mr.  Jasniff  knows  his  son  is  wild — he  wanted 
me  to  tame  him  down.  But  I  don't  see  how  I  can 
do  it.  Supposing  he  had  brained  Porter!"  Dr. 
Clay  shivered.  "I  should  never  have  gotten  over 
it,  and  it  would  have  ruined  the  school!" 

"There  is  another  thing  to  consider,  sir,"  pur- 
sued the  assistant.  "It  may  be  that  Porter  will 
write  to  his  uncle  about  this,  and  his  relative  may 
be  afraid  to  let  the  boy  remain  here  while  Jasniff 
stays." 

"No,  I  questioned  Porter  about  that.  What  do 
you  think  he  said?"  The  master  of  Oak  Hall 
smiled  slightly.  "He  said  he  could  take  care  of 
himself  and  he  could  make  Jasniff  keep  his  dis- 
tance.    He  certainly  has  courage." 

"He  is  the  grittiest  boy  in  the  school — and  one 
of  the  best,  too,"  answered  Andrew  Dale,  heartily. 
And  there  the  conversation  came  to  an  end. 

The  fight  between  Jasniff  and  Dave  was  the  sole 
topic  discussed  that  evening  at  Oak  Hall.  The 
boys  who  had  not  witnessed  the  encounter  could 
scarcely  believe  that  Dave  had  knocked  the  other 
student  down  twice  and  blackened  his  eyes,  and 
they  could  scarcely  credit  the  fact  that  Jasniff  in  his 
rage  and  humiliation  had  attacked  Dave  with  the 
heavy  Indian  club.     Some  went  to  Jasniff's  dormi- 


DISAPPEARANCE  OF  NICK  JASNIFF      247 

tory,  only  to  learn  that  the  student  was  miss- 
ing. 

In  the  dormitory  Plum  and  Poole  sat  in  a  warm 
corner,  talking  the  affair  over  in  a  low  tone.  To 
do  them  justice,  both  were  horrified  over  the  club 
incident.  Each  had  seen  that  awful  look  in  Jas- 
niff's  eyes  and  each  had  expected  to  see  Dave 
stretched  lifeless  on  the  gymnasium  floor. 

"I — I  didn't  think  it  of  Nick!"  whispered 
Poole.     "He  certainly  went  too  far." 

"He  was  so  wild  he  didn't  know  what  he  was 
doing,"  answered  Plum.  "It  doesn't  pay  to  get 
that  way.     If  he  had  really  killed  Porter " 

"Oh,  don't  say  it,  Gus !  Why,  it  makes  me 
tremble  yet,"  whined  Nat  Poole.  "If  Nick  is 
going  to  act  like  that,  I'm  going  to  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  him.  What  if  something  had 
happened?  He  might  have  dragged  us  into  it 
somehow — we've  been  so  thick  with  him." 

To  this  Gus  Plum  did  not  answer,  but  a  far- 
away, thoughtful  look  came  into  his  eyes. 

"It  doesn't  pay  to  be  too  thick  with  a  fellow  like 
that,"  pursued  Nat  Poole.  "He'll  get  you  into  a 
hole  some  time  or  other." 

"Maybe  you're  right,  Nat."     Gus  Plum  drew  a 

long  breath.     "I  wish "     The  bully  of  Oak 

Hall  suddenly  checked  himself. 

"What  do  you  wish?" 

"I  sometimes  wish  I  had  never  been  thick  with 


248     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Nick.  But  he "  Again  Plum  checked  him- 
self. "By  the  way,"  he  resumed,  "did  that  new 
allowance  come  in  yet?" 

"No.  My  dad  wrote  he  wouldn't  allow  me  a 
cent  until  next  month.     Why?" 

"Oh,  it  doesn't  matter."  The  bully  drew  an- 
other long  breath.  "I  thought  perhaps  you'd  lend 
me  a  little." 

"Why,  I  thought  you  had  what  you  wanted  1" 
cried  Poole,  in  astonishment. 

"I  did  have,  but  I Well,  it  doesn't  mat- 
ter, Nat.  I'll  get  along  somehow."  And  then 
Gus  Plum  heaved  a  deeper  sigh  than  ever.  Evi- 
dently there  was  something  on  his  mind  which  wor- 
ried him  considerably. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  ROCKVILLE 

"Boys,  how  is  this  for  weather!"  called  out 
Roger,  the  following  morning.  "Isn't  it  cold 
enough  to  freeze  the  hind  leg  off  a  wooden  horse?" 

"I  guess  the  bottom  has  dropped  out  of  the 
thermometer,"  answered  Dave,  as  he  followed 
Roger  in  rising. 

"How  do  you  feel,  Dave?" 

"Oh,  pretty  good.  My  chin  is  a  little  swollen 
and  my  shoulder  is  somewhat  stiff,  that's  all." 

"Wonder  if  Jasniff  is  back  yet,"  said  Ben. 

All  the  boys  wondered  that,  and  Luke  Watson 
took  it  upon  himself  to  dress  in  a  hurry  and  go  out 
for  information. 

"Nothing  seen  of  him  yet,"  announced  Luke,  on 
returning. 

"Perhaps  he  has  run  away  for  good!"  cried 
Buster. 

"He's  afraid  the  doctor  will  punish  him 
severely,"  said  Polly  Vane.  "It  was  such  a — er — 
outrageous  thing  to  do,  don't  you  know." 

"He's  a  tough  boy,"  was  Roger's  comment. 
249 


250     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Oh,  say,  speaking  of  a  tough  boy  puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  story  I  heard  yesterday,"  said  Shadow, 
who  sat  on  the  edge  of  his  bed,  lacing  his  shoes. 
"A  young  married  lady " 

"Gracious,  Shadow,  how  can  you  tell  stories  on  a 
cold  morning  like  this?"  interrupted  Dave. 

"Shadow  would  rather  tell  stories  than  keep 
warm,"  said  Roger,  with  a  smile. 

"Maybe  this  is  a  hot  one,"  said  Ben,  grinning. 

"Now  you  just  listen,"  pursued  Shadow.  "A 
young  married  lady  went  and  bought  a  barrel  of 
best  flour " 

"Four  X  or  Not  At  Home  brand?"  questioned 
Buster,  innocently. 

"If  you  interrupt  me  I'll  throw  the  soap  at  you, 
Buster.  This  was  a  barrel  of  guaranteed  flour. 
Two  days  later  she  came  back  to  the  grocer  with  a 
very  indignant  look  on  her  face.  'That  flour  is  no 
good,'  says  she  to  Mr.  Grocer.  'Why  not?'  says 
the  grocer.  'Because  it  is  tough,'  says  the  lady. 
T  made  doughnuts  with  it  yesterday  and  my  hus- 
band thought  they  were  paperweights!'  " 

"No  well-bred  lady  would  say  that,"  came  softly 
from  Dave. 

"O  my !  what  a  pun !"  cried  Roger.  "Well,  she 
wasn't  well-bred,  she  was  poor-bread."  And  then 
a  general  laugh  went  up. 

It  was  indeed  cold,  with  the  sun  hiding  behind  a 
gray  sky  and  a  keen  north  wind  blowing.     When 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  ROCKVILLE       251 

they  went  below  they  ran  into  Babcock,  who  had 
been  down  to  the  river. 

"The  ice  is  coming  along  finely,"  said  Babcock. 
"I  think  we'll  be  able  to  skate  by  to-morrow." 

All  the  boys  hoped  so,  and  as  soon  as  they  could 
went  down  to  the  river  to  look  at  the  ice.  It  was 
moderately  firm  and  some  lads  were  already  sliding 
on  a  stretch  of  meadow.  But  Dr.  Clay  would  not 
let  them  go  on  the  river  proper  until  it  was  safe. 

That  day  the  master  of  Oak  Hall  sent  out 
Andrew  Dale  and  Swingly  the  janitor  to  look  for 
Nick  Jasniff.  But  the  search  proved  of  no  avail. 
Wherever  the  student  was,  he  managed  to  cover  up 
his  tracks  completely. 

By  Monday  of  the  following  week  skating  was 
at  its  best,  and  many  hours  were  spent  by  Dave  and 
the  others  on  the  ice.  They  skated  for  miles,  and 
also  had  half  a  dozen  races,  including  one  between 
Dave,  Roger,  and  Messmer,  in  which  the  two 
chums  came  out  even,  with  Messmer  not  far 
behind. 

During  those  days  came  word  that  Phil  was 
slowly  but  steadily  improving.  This  news  was 
greeted  with  satisfaction  by  all  his  friends,  who 
hoped  that  he  would  soon  be  able  to  come  to  school 
again. 

"We  can't  get  along  without  him,"  said  Dave, 
and  Roger  echoed  the  sentiment. 

The  senator's  son  had  received  word  from  tv/o 


252     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

of  his  friends,  who  were  now  students  at  one  of  the 
leading  colleges.  Both  belonged  to  a  glee  club 
which  was  to  give  an  entertainment  at  Rockville 
Hall  on  Tuesday  night. 

"I'd  like  to  go  to  that  entertainment  and  hear 
Jack  and  Joe  sing,"  said  Roger.  "I  wonder  if  the 
doctor  will  let  me  off?" 

The  matter  was  explained,  and  in  the  end  it  was 
agreed  to  let  the  senator's  son  go  to  the  entertain- 
ment, taking  Dave  and  Shadow  with  him  for  com- 
pany. As  skating  was  so  good,  the  students  de- 
cided to  go  by  way  of  the  river,  walking  the  dis- 
tance from  Rockville  Landing  to  the  hall  where 
the  entertainment  was  to  take  place. 

It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night  when  the  three 
started  and  all  were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  There 
were  a  few  skaters  out,  mostly  grown  folk,  so  the 
way  was  by  no  means  lonely.  They  had  plenty  of 
time,  so  did  not  hurry. 

"We  don't  want  to  overheat  ourselves,"  said 
Roger.  "Perhaps  the  hall  will  be  warm,  and  then 
we  won't  be  able  to  stand  it." 

Arriving  at  Rockville  Landing,  they  took  off 
their  skates  and  left  them  at  one  of  the  boathouses. 
Then  they  walked  through  the  town,  past  the 
brightly  lighted  shops,  and  stopped  at  one  place  for 
some  candy  and  glasses  of  hot  chocolate. 

"Well,  I  never!"  cried  Dave,  suddenly,  as  they 
were  leaving  the  shop. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  ROCKVILLE       253 

"What's  up?"  queried  Shadow. 

"Did  you  know  that  Gus  Plum  was  coming 
here?" 

"I  certainly  did  not,"  answered  the  senator's 
son.     "Where  is  he?" 

"I  just  saw  him  over  there.  He  passed  around 
that  corner." 

"Maybe  you  were  mistaken  in  the  person,"  ven- 
tured Shadow. 

"I  think  not." 

"He  may  have  come  over, — to  go  to  the  enter- 
tainment, just  as  we  are  doing." 

"He  doesn't  care  for  music." 

"I  know  that." 

The  three  boys  walked  to  the  corner  and  looked 
down  the  side  street.  Nobody  resembling  the 
bully  of  Oak  Hall  was  in  sight. 

Five  minutes  later  found  them  at  the  place 
where  the  entertainment  was  to  take  place.  Roger 
took  his  chums  around  to  the  stage  door  and  in, 
and  introduced  Dave  and  Shadow  to  his  friends, 
and  then  the  students  from  Oak  Hall  went  around 
to  the  front  and  secured  seats  near  one  of  the 
boxes. 

The  programme  was  a  light  and  varied  one — 
such  as  are  usually  given  by  college  glee  clubs — 
and  Dave  and  his  chums  enjoyed  it  thoroughly. 
One  bass  singer  rendered  a  topical  song,  the  glee 
club  joining  in  the  chorus.     This  was  wildly  ap- 


254     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

plauded,  and  the  singer  had  to  give  at  least  a  dozen 
verses  of  the  effusion. 

"This  is  all  right!"  whispered  Dave.  "I  wish 
our  glee  club  could  do  as  well." 

"Maybe  it  will — when  the  boys  are  as  old  as 
these  fellows,"  answered  Shadow. 

"These  fellows  are  the  best  singers  at  the  col- 
lege," said  Roger.  "They  can't  get  into  the  club 
unless  they  have  first-class  voices." 

The  concert  came  to  an  end  about  half-past  ten 
o'clock,  and  Roger  waited  for  a  while,  in  order  to 
talk  to  his  friends  again.  Then  he,  Dave,  and 
Shadow  started  on  the  return  to  Oak  Hall. 

Their  course  took  them  past  the  railroad  station 
and  a  row  of  small  dwellings.  Just  as  they  were 
between  the  station  and  the  dwellings  a  light  from 
a  street  lamp  fell  full  upon  two  persons  standing 
some  distance  away. 

"Look!  there  is  Gus  Plum  again!"  cried  Dave. 

"Yes,  and  that  is  Nick  Jasniff  with  him!"  said 
the  senator's  son,  in  a  tone  of  great  surprise. 

"Let  us  go  over  and  make  sure,"  suggested 
Shadow. 

The  three  started  across  the  street,  and  as  they 
did  so  Plum  and  Jasniff  moved  away  in  the  direc- 
tion of  one  of  the  dwelling  houses.  Before  they 
could  be  stopped  they  had  mounted  the  porch, 
opened  the  door,  and  gone  inside.  Those  outside 
heard  the  door  locked,  and  then  all  became  quiet. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  ROCKVILLE       255 

"Well,  I  never!"  came  from  Dave.  "This  is 
certainly  a  mystery." 

There  was  good  cause  for  his  words.  The  front 
of  the  dwelling  was  entirely  dark  and  the  lower 
windows  had  the  solid  wooden  shutters  tightly 
closed. 

"Shall  I  ring  the  bell?"  asked  Roger,  after  a 
pause  in  perplexity. 

"There  is  no  bell  to  ring,"  answered  Shadow. 

"I  wouldn't  knock,"  advised  Dave.  "What's 
the  use  ?     We  may  only  get  into  a  row." 

"The  doctor  ought  to  know  that  Jasniff  is  here," 
said  Roger. 

"We  can  tell  him  that,  even  if  Plum  won't," 
added  Shadow.  "I  agree  with  Dave,  it  will  do  no 
good  to  knock." 

"I'd  like  to  know  if  they  saw  us,"  said  Dave,  as 
he  and  his  chums  continued  on  their  way  up  the 
street. 

"If  they  didn't  it's  queerwhy  they  should  get  out 
of  sight  in  such  a  hurry,"  replied  the  senator's  son. 

"Perhaps  Jasniff  is  going  to  get  Plum  to  smooth 
matters  over  with  the  doctor,"  was  Dave's  com- 
ment. "He  may  be  sick  of  staying  away  from  the 
Hall." 

"Dave,  what  are  you  going  to  do  if  he  does  come 
back?"  asked  Shadow,  curiously. 

"Do?     Nothing." 

"Aren't  you  afraid  of  him  in  the  least?" 


256     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Oh,  I  shall  keep  on  my  guard,  for  fear  he  may 
play  me  some  foul  trick." 

"I'd  rather  he'd  go  away  for  good." 

"So  would  I,"  added  Shadow. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know.  He  may  reform.  If  he 
wants  to  reform,  I'd  like  to  give  him  the  chance." 

"He'll  never  reform,"  said  Roger,  decidedly. 
"He  is  a  bad  egg  through  and  through." 

"Just  what  I  think,"  said  Shadow.  "To  my 
mind,  he  is  much  worse  than  Plum  or  Poole." 

"Oh,  I  know  that,"  returned  Dave. 

Arriving  at  the  boathouse,  they  got  out  their 
skates  and  put  them  on.  While  they  were  doing 
this,  two  men,  wrapped  up  in  heavy  overcoats, 
walked  up  over  the  ice  and  passed  down  the  street 
in  the  direction  from  whence  the  students  had 
come. 

"There's  the  long  and  the  short  of  it,"  said 
Roger,  with  a  laugh.  He  had  noticed  that  one 
man  was  unusually  tall  and  the  other  unusually 
short. 

"Well,  men  can't  all  be  of  a  size,"  laughed  Dave. 
"That  little  man  had  all  he  could  do  to  keep  up 
with  the  big  fellow,"  he  added. 

The  skate  to  the  school  was  a  fine  one  and  they 
arrived  at  Oak  Hall  just  as  the  silvery  moon  was 
sinking  behind  the  distant  hills.  Swingly  let  them 
in,  and  inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour  the  boys  were 
in  bed  and  in  the  land  of  dreams. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  ROCKVILLE       257 

The  next  day  was  a  busy  one  for  Dave.  He 
had  some  extra  hard  lessons,  to  which  he  applied 
himself  with  vigor.  An  examination  was  soon  to 
take  place  and  he  was  determined  to  come  out  at 
the  top  if  it  could  possibly  be  accomplished. 

"Gracious,  I  can't  grind  like  that,"  said  Roger, 
but  half  in  admiration. 

"Dave  has  his  eye  on  that  medal  of  honor,"  said 
Ben.  "Well,  it  is  certainly  well  worth  working 
for." 

The  weather  had  changed  and  by  noontime  it 
was  snowing  furiously.  Dave  had  not  seen  Gus 
Plum  in  the  morning,  but  the  bully  was  at  the  din- 
ner table  as  usual.  Shadow  had  reported  seeing 
Nick  Jasniff  in  Rockville  to  the  doctor,  but  had 
given  no  particulars.  Dr.  Clay  had  said  he  would 
look  into  the  matter,  and  sent  Andrew  Dale  to 
Rockville  for  that  purpose. 

It  was  not  until  evening  that  the  assistant 
teacher  returned  from  the  neighboring  town.  He 
had  seen  nothing  of  Nick  Jasniff,  although  he  had 
hunted  thoroughly  and  even  visited  the  house 
Shadow  had  mentioned. 

"The  house  was  locked  up,  and  when  I  knocked 
on  the  door  nobody  came  to  answer  my  sum- 
mons." 

This  was  as  much  as  Andrew  Dale  could  tell 
concerning  the  missing  student.  But  he  brought 
other  news,  which  was  flying  over  the  country-side 


258     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

like  wildfire.  During  the  night  thieves  had  broken 
into  the  railroad  station  at  Rockville,  opened  the 
old-fashioned  safe,  and  stolen  nearly  three  hundred 
dollars  in  money,  some  checks,  and  several  bundles 
of  railroad  tickets. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

AN   ICE-BOAT   RACE 

"What  do  you  think  of  that?"  cried  Roger, 
when  the  news  was  circulated  among  the  boys. 

"I  think  the  deed  was  done  by  the  same  fellows 
who  robbed  Mrs.  Fairchild  and  Mr.  Lapham," 
said  Ben.  "The  authorities  are  dead  slow  that 
they  don't  catch  the  rascals.  They  must  certainly 
be  hanging  out  somewhere  in  this  district." 

"Boys,  I've  got  an  idea !"  cried  Dave.  "Mrs. 
Fairchild  said  the  man  she  saw  was  rather  tall. 
Don't  you  remember  the  tall  man  we  saw  last 
night?" 

"To  be  sure,  and  the  short  fellow  with  him,"  ex- 
claimed Roger.     "They  may  be  the  very  rascals!" 

"Let  us  tell  the  doctor  of  this,"  said  Shadow, 
and  forthwith  they  went  to  Dr.  Clay,  who  listened 
to  their  story  with  interest. 

"I  will  notify  the  authorities,"  he  said.  "How 
did  the  men  look  in  the  face?" 

"I  didn't  see  their  faces,"  answered  Roger. 

"One  had  a  beard,  I  think,"  ventured  Shadow. 

259 


260     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Both  had  reddish  beards,"  answered  Dave, 
"and  they  had  reddish  mustaches,  too." 

This  was  as  much  as  the  boys  could  tell.  Later 
it  was  learned  that  the  tall  and  the  short  man  had 
been  seen  before  and  it  was  pretty  clearly  estab- 
lished that  they  had  had  something  to  do  with  all 
of  the  robberies  throughout  that  district.  But  the 
men  were  missing,  and  what  had  become  of  them 
nobody  could  tell.  The  local  papers  came  out 
with  a  full  account  of  the  robbery  and  not  only 
mentioned  the  money  that  had  been  taken  but  also 
the  names  on  the  checks,  and  the  lists  of  stolen  rail- 
road tickets.  These  accounts  Dave  and  his  chums 
read  with  interest. 

"Say,  I  saw  a  funny  thing  just  now,"  said  Ben, 
coming  to  Dave  and  Sam  Day  a  little  later,  while 
both  were  doing  some  sums  in  algebra.  "I  was  in 
the  library  and  so  were  a  lot  of  fellows,  including 
Plum  and  Poole.  Plum  has  been  on  the  sick  list 
to-day  and  wasn't  downstairs  when  the  news  came 
in  about  that  Rockville  affair.  He  took  up  one  of 
the  papers  and  began  to  read  about  the  robbery, 
and  all  at  once  he  staggered  back.  I  thought  he 
was  fainting.  He  grabbed  the  paper  with  all  his 
might  and  his  eyes  almost  started  out  of  his 
head.  He  would  have  gone  over,  only  Poole 
caught  him  and  led  him  to  a  chair.  Then  he 
said  his  head  hurt  him  and  he  went  to  his  dor- 
mitory." 


AN  ICE-BOAT  RACE  261 

"That  was  certainly  queer,"  said  Dave,  thought- 
fully. 

"He  acted  just  as  if  that  news  was  some  kind  of 
a  blow  to  him,"  went  on  Ben. 

"I  don't  see  how  it  could  affect  him,"  said  Sam 
Day.      "I  guess  it  was  just  his  sickness." 

Sam  did  not  know  that  Gus  Plum  had  been  seen 
in  Rockville  the  night  the  robbery  occurred,  and 
Dave  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  enlighten  him. 
But  Ben  knew,  and  he  and  Dave  walked  away  to 
talk  the  matter  over,  being  joined  a  moment  later 
by  Roger  and  Shadow. 

"Plum  was  certainly  in  Rockville,"  said  Shadow, 
"but  I  don't  see  how  that  connects  him  with  the 
robbery."  He  was  voicing  a  thought  that  had 
come  to  the  minds  of  all. 

"I  don't  believe  he  was  connected  with  it,"  said 
Dave.  "It's  an  awful  thing  to  think  a  fellow  is  a 
thief."  He  looked  at  Shadow,  who  understood 
him  thoroughly,  as  my  old  readers  will  understand. 
"But — he  was  there  with  Jasniff,"  he  added, 
slowly. 

"Do  you  think  Jasniff  had  anything  to  do  with 
it,  Dave?" 

"I  should  hate  to  think  any  boy  was  a  thief." 
"I  don't  believe  a  fellow  like  Jasniff  could  open 
that  safe,"  came   from  Roger.     "Those  robbers 
must  have  had  regular  burglars'  tools." 

"But  what  made  Plum  so  afraid,  or  dumbstruck, 


262  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

or  whatever  you  may  call  it?"  asked  Ben.  "It  was 
no  small  thing,  I  can  tell  you  that." 

"Perhaps  he  got  scared,  thinking  he  was  at 
Rockville  with  Jasniff  at  the  time  of  the  robbery," 
answered  Dave.  "He  knows  Jasniff  is  a  kind  of 
outcast  just  now.  Perhaps  he  himself  suspects 
Jasniff." 

The  students  speculated  over  the  affair  for  some 
time.  At  first  Dave  thought  it  might  be  best  to  let 
Dr.  Clay  know,  but  finally  concluded  to  keep  quiet 
and  see  what  the  next  few  days  would  bring  forth. 

The  bully  of  the  school  was  certainly  ill  at  ease 
that  day  and  also  the  next.  He  missed  nearly  all 
his  lessons  and  was  sharply  reprimanded  by  Job 
Haskers. 

"I've  got  a  headache,"  he  said.  "It  has  ached 
for  several  days.  I  wish  you  would  excuse  me." 
And  this  getting  to  the  ears  of  the  doctor,  he  was 
told  to  take  some  headache  tablets  and  retire. 

Some  of  the  students  who  were  of  a  mechanical 
mind  had  built  themselves  ice-boats  and  these  were 
now  being  used  on  the  river  whenever  the  oppor- 
tunity afforded.  Messmer  and  Henshaw  had  a 
boat,  and  one  afternoon  after  school  they  asked 
Roger  and  Dave  to  go  for  a  sail  down  the  river. 
Ice-boating  was  something  of  a  novelty  to  Dave, 
and  he  accepted  the  invitation  gladly  and  so  did  the 
senator's  son. 

The  ice-boat  built  by  Messmer  and  Henshaw 


AN  ICE-BOAT  RACE  263 

was  about  twenty  feet  long,  with  a  single  sail,  and 
was  named  the  Snowbird.  It  was  by  no  means  a 
handsome  craft,  not  being  painted,  but  under 
favorable  conditions  developed  good  speed,  and 
that  was  all  the  builders  wanted. 

"We  didn't  build  her  for  beauty,  we  built  her 
for  service,"  Henshaw  explained. 

"Well,  as  long  as  she'll  go  that's  all  we  want," 
answered  Roger.  "I  shouldn't  give  a  cent  for  a 
boat  that  was  good-looking  and  couldn't  get  over 
the  ground." 

"Did  you  ever  see  a  boat  get  over  the  ground, 
Roger?"  asked  Dave,  quizzically. 

"Well — er — not  exactly,  but  you  know  what  I 
mean,  Dave." 

"So  I  do,  and  I  agree  with  you." 

The  start  of  the  trip  was  made  in  fine  shape, 
and  for  a  little  while  they  sailed  along  in  company 
with  two  other  ice-boats  belonging  to  other  stu- 
dents. But  then  the  others  turned  back,  and  the 
Snowbird  continued  on  the  course  alone. 

"This  is  certainly  grand!"  cried  Dave,  enthu- 
siastically. He  was  sitting  at  the  bow,  holding 
fast  with  one  hand  and  holding  on  his  cap  with  the 
other.     "My!  but  we  are  rushing  along." 

"It's  just  the  right  kind  of  a  breeze,"  said  Hen- 
shaw. 

"Beats  skating,  doesn't  it?"  came  from  Roger. 
"We  must  be  making  about  a  mile  a  minute !" 


264  DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"We  won't  dare  to  go  too  far,"  said  Messmer. 
"Remember,  we've  got  to  get  back,  and  that  will 
take  longer." 

"Maybe  the  wind  will  change." 

"No  such  luck,  I  am  afraid." 

On  they  went,  the  runners  of  the  Snowbird  mak- 
ing a  sharp  skir-r-r  on  the  smooth  ice.  They  were 
passing  an  island  and  as  they  reached  the  end  they 
came  in  sight  of  another  ice-boat,  carrying  a  num- 
ber of  boys  in  military  uniform. 

"Hello!  there  is  an  ice-boat  from  Rockville 
Military  Academy!"  exclaimed  Dave.  "That's  a 
pretty  good-looking  craft."  This  was  a  deserved 
compliment,  for  the  ice-boat  was  gayly  painted  and 
decorated  with  a  small  flag. 

"Hello!"  yelled  one  of  the  Rockville  students, 
as  the  other  craft  came  closer.  "Where  did  you 
borrow  that  old  tub?" 

"From  the  fellow  who  swapped  it  for  that  barn- 
door you're  riding  on,"  retorted  Dave,  quickly. 

"I'll  give  you  ten  cents  for  it,"  went  on  another 
Rockville  cadet. 

"Thanks,  but  we  don't  want  to  rob  you,"  an- 
swered Roger,  merrily. 

"Maybe  you  think  you  can  beat  us,"  said  Hen- 
shaw,  who  had  been  eying  the  other  ice-boat 
critically. 

"We  don't  think  so — we  know  it,"  was  the  quick 
rejoinder. 


The  Snowbird  continued  to  forge  ahead.  —  Page  265. 


AN  ICE-BOAT  RACE  265 

"Come  ahead  then,  and  prove  it,"  exclaimed 
Messmer. 

In  a  moment  more  the  race  was  on.  There  was 
a  straight  course  of  two  miles  ahead  and  over  this 
the  rival  ice-boats  flew,  at  first  side  by  side.  Then 
an  extra  puff  of  wind  took  the  Rockville  craft 
ahead. 

"What  did  I  tell  you!"  cried  one  of  the  cadets. 
"You're  too  slow  for  us.     Good-by!" 

"You're  not  leaving  us  yet,"  answered  Hen- 
shaw,  who  was  steering,  and  he  threw  the  Snowbird 
over  a  bit  from  the  shore.  The  wind  was  coming 
over  the  top  of  a  hill  and  now  both  craft  got  the 
full  benefit  of  it.  On  they  rushed,  with  Rockville 
slightly  ahead.  Then,  slowly  but  surely,  the  Oak 
Hall  boat  began  to  crawl  up. 

"We  are  gaining!"  cried  Dave. 

"Oh,  if  I  only  had  a  bellows,  to  help  make 
wind!"  sighed  the  senator's  son. 

They  had  still  half  a  mile  to  go  when  of  a  sud- 
den the  Snowbird  shot  ahead.  Those  on  the 
Rockville  craft  were  amazed  and  their  faces 
fell. 

"Here  is  where  we  beat  you !"  cried  Henshaw. 
"Good-by!    We'll  tell  'em  you  are  coming." 

"Oh,  go  to  grass  !"  growled  one  of  the  Rockville 
cadets,  and  then  the  Snowbird  continued  to  forge 
ahead,  leaving  the  rival  ice-boat  far  behind. 

"They  feel  sick,"  said  Dave.     "I  must  say  I 


266     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

didn't  think  this  ice-boat  could  do  it.  You've  cer- 
tainly got  something  worth  having." 

"Even  if  we  are  not  all  painted  up  and  haven't  a 
flag,"  added  Messmer. 

They  continued  on  the  course  for  quarter  of  a 
mile  further.  Then  they  came  to  a  number  of 
islands,  and  rounding  one  of  these  started  to  tack 
back.  Meanwhile  the  rival  ice-boat  passed  on 
down  the  river. 

"Not  so  much  fun  in  this,"  observed  Roger.  "I 
like  to  rush  right  before  the  wind." 

"That's  like  the  small  boy  who  wanted  to  go 
down  hill  on  his  sled  all  the  time  and  never  wanted 
to  walk  back,"  answered  Henshaw.  "But  going 
back  will  not  be  so  much  of  a  hardship  as  you 
think." 

"Oh,  I'll  like  it  well  enough,"  answered  the 
senator's  son,  quickly. 

They  were  soon  opposite  one  of  the  islands  not 
over  a  mile  from  Oak  Hall.  It  was  a  lonely  and 
rocky  spot  and  one  seldom  visited  by  any  of  the 
students. 

"Somebody  is  out  skating  here,"  said  Dave,  and 
he  pointed  out  two  persons  who  were  close  to  the 
island. 

A  moment  later  the  ice-boat  was  thrown  over  on 
the  other  reach  and  came  close  to  the  island.  Then 
Roger  uttered  an  exclamation : 

"The  tall  man  and  the  short  man !" 


AN  ICE-BOAT  RACE  267 

"Can  they  be  the  robbers?"  queried  Dave, 
quickly. 

He  watched  the  pair,  and  saw  them  disappear 
behind  some  bare  bushes  which  fringed  the  shore 
of  the  island. 

"Roger,  I  think  we  ought  to  try  to  find  out  some- 
thing about  those  fellows." 

"I  think  so  myself." 

"If  those  are  the  rascals  who  robbed  the  Rock- 
ville  railroad  station,  we  ought  to  try  to  capture 
them,"  said  Henshaw. 

"How  can  we  do  that?"  asked  Messmer.  "We 
are  not  armed." 

"Let  us  follow  them  up  anyway,"  said 
Dave. 

This  was  agreed  to  by  all  on  board  the  Snow- 
bird, and  in  a  few  minutes  the  craft  was  run  close 
to  the  shore  and  the  sail  was  lowered. 

"I  am  going  to  arm  myself,"  said  Roger,  and 
suited  the  action  to  the  word  by  picking  up  a  heavy 
stick  that  lay  handy.  Seeing  this,  the  others  also 
procured  sticks,  and  thus  armed,  all  made  their 
way  to  the  spot  where  the  two  men  had  last  been 
seen. 

"Here  are  their  tracks  in  the  snow,"  said  Dave, 
pointing  to  the  drift  which  the  wind  had  swept  up 
from  the  river.  "It  will  be  easy  enough  to  follow 
their  tracks." 

"We  had  better  go  slow  and  make  no  noise," 


268     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

cautioned  Roger.  "If  they  hear  us  they'll  be  on 
guard  and  may  run  away." 

Slowly  and  silently  after  that  the  students  fol- 
lowed the  trail,  through  the  snow  and  over  the 
wind-swept  rocks.  They  passed  under  some  tall 
trees,  crossed  a  frozen-over  gully,  and  then  came 
to  where  a  pile  of  rocks  appeared  to  bar  their 
further  progress. 

"They  passed  along  this  way!"  whispered  Dave, 
pointing  to  the  footmarks,  close  to  the  base  of  the 
rocks.     "Go  slow  now,  or " 

"Hush!"  interrupted  Roger.     "I  hear  voices." 

"I  see  a  cabin,  just  beyond  the  turn  of  these 
rocks,"  said  Henshaw.  "The  two  men  must  be 
there." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE    CABIN   ON   THE    ISLAND 

The  four  boys  came  to  a  halt,  to  consider  what 
they  should  do  next.  They  did  not  know  but  that 
the  two  men  might  be  desperate  characters  and 
ready  to  fight  hard  if  cornered.  They  might  even 
be  ready  to  do  some  shooting. 

"I'll  go  ahead  and  take  a  look  around,"  said 
Dave.  "You  others  had  better  remain  here  for 
the  present." 

This  was  agreed  to,  and  with  extreme  caution 
Dave  made  his  way  around  a  corner  of  the  rocks 
and  along  some  bushes,  to  one  side  of  the  cabin. 
The  building  was  of  logs,  very  much  dilapidated, 
having  been  erected  by  some  campers  many  years 
before. 

As  Dave  came  close  to  one  of  the  windows  of 
the  cabin  he  saw  a  man  cross  the  floor  in  the  direc- 
tion of  a  rude  fireplace.  Then  a  match  was  struck, 
and  some  paper  lit.  Soon  a  fire  was  blazing  in 
the  room,  casting  a  ruddy  glare  over  all. 

Both  men  were  present,  each  still  wrapped  in  his 
overcoat  and  with  his  hat  pulled  down  over  his 

269 


270     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

forehead.  That  they  were  the  individuals  he  had 
seen  in  Rockville  the  night  of  the  concert  and  the 
robbery  the  youth  was  quite  sure. 

Dave  was  anxious  to  hear  what  the  two  fellows 
might  have  to  say,  and  so  crept  closer  to  the  win- 
dow, which  was  wide  open.  Near  the  window  a 
log  was  loose,  leaving  quite  a  crack,  and  by  putting 
his  ear  to  this  the  boy  made  out  nearly  all  that  was 
being  said. 

"We  were  simple,  I  think,  to  come  here,  Pud," 
said  the  tall  man,  as  he  threw  some  more  wood  on 
the  fire.  "We  ought  to  be  miles  away  by  this 
time." 

"I  ain't  going  away  yet,  Hunk,"  was  the  reply 
from  the  short  man.  "You  know  what  I  came  for. 
Well,  I  am  going  to  stick  it  out." 

"But  it  is  getting  more  dangerous  every  day," 
pleaded  the  man  called  Hunk. 

"Oh,  you  only  think  so," 

"No,  I  don't.  Didn't  I  read  the  papers, — and 
didn't  you  read  them  too?  They  are  after  us,  I 
tell  you." 

"Well,  they  haven't  got  us  yet." 

After  that  there  was  a  pause,  during  which  one 
of  the  men  put  some  water  in  a  pot  to  boil  and 
brought  out  some  provisions  in  a  flour  bag. 

"Who  is  next  on  that  list  of  yours?"  asked  the 
man  called  Hunk,  presently. 

"Paul  Barbridge,  and  I  want  to  do  him  up  good. 


THE  CABIN  ON  THE  ISLAND  271 

He  was  the  foreman  of  the  jury  that  sent  me  up  for 
two  years." 

"Has  he  got  money?" 

"I  think  so — leastwise,  I  am  going  to  find  out," 
and  the  speaker  gave  a  low  chuckle.  "Oh,  I  ain't 
going  to  let  up  until  I  run  through  the  whole 
twelve  or  their  families.  And  then  I  am  going  to 
strike  the  judge — and  strike  him  good  and  hard. 
I'll  show  'em  that  they  can't  send  Pud  Frodel  to 
prison  and  not  get  paid  back !  I  said  I'd  get 
square  when  I  was  sentenced  and  I  am  going  to 
keep  my  word.  Fairchild  died  on  me,  but  I  reckon 
I  fixed  his  widow  for  it." 

There  was  another  pause,  during  which  both 
men  prepared  to  eat  some  of  the  provisions  they 
had  brought  with  them.  Dave  was  on  the  point 
of  rejoining  his  companions,  when  the  men  began 
to  speak  again  and  now  their  words  filled  him  with 
amazement. 

"You're  a  queer  one,  Pud,"  said  the  man  called 
Hunk.  "A  queer  one,  I  must  say.  Sometimes  I 
wonder  to  myself  how  I  can  stick  to  you." 

"Well,  you  haven't  got  to  stick  if  you  don't 
want  to." 

"I  know  that.     But  you  want  me,  don't  you?" 

"I  like  to  have  somebody,  and — you  like  your 
share,  eh?"  And  the  short  man  laughed  harshly. 
"I've  been  square,  haven't  I?" 

"Yes,  to  the  cent — and  that  is  why  I  stick  to  you. 


272     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

But  you  do  such  queer  things.  Now,  for  instance, 
those  schoolboys " 

"Oh,  don't  bring  that  up  again,  Hunk.  I 
know  just  what  I  am  doing.  I  told  you  that 
before." 

"Well,  one  of  those  boys  may  be  all  right,  but  I 
shouldn't  trust  the  other." 

"Both  of  'em  want  money — want  it  just  as  bad, 
almost,  as  we  do.     One  of  'em  up  and  told  me  so." 

"Yes,  but " 

"When  fellows  like  that  want  money — actually 
want  it— they  get  desperate.  At  such  a  high- 
toned  school  they  have  to  keep  up  a  front,  and  they 
can't  do  that  unless  they  have  got  the  coin  in  their 
pockets." 

"When  are  you  going  to  see  them  again?" 

"To-morrow." 

"Where?" 

"At  the  old  mill,  near  Nabill's." 

"Well,  if  you What's  that?" 

The  speaker  broke  off  short,  as  a  sound  from 
outside  reached  his  ears.  Tired  of  waiting  for 
Dave,  Roger  and  the  other  students  had  come 
closer  and  Henshaw  had  stumbled  over  a  loose 
stone  and  gone  crashing  into  a  hollow  among  some 
bushes. 

"Somebody  out  there!"  ejaculated  Pud  Frodel, 
and  caught  up  a  club  that  stood  handy. 

"Maybe   they're   following   us!"    returned   his 


THE  CABIN  ON  THE  ISLAND         273 

companion.     "Come  on  and  see.     We  don't  want 
to  be  cornered  in  a  place  like  this." 

"Oh,  my  ankle!"  came  in  a  painful  cry  from 
Henshaw.  He  had  given  that  member  a  severe 
wrench. 

"Some  of  the  schoolboys  I"  cried  one  of  the  men. 

"Let  us  get  out,"  added  the  other. 

"Are  those  two  fellows  we  know  in  the  crowd?" 

"No,  these  are  all  strangers." 

After  having  run  out  of  the  cabin,  the  two  men 
went  in  again.  Then  they  seemed  to  suddenly  dis- 
appear. 

"Hullo,  Dave !"  sang  out  Roger.  He  could  see 
but  little  in  the  gloom  of  the  coming  night,  for  it 
was  now  nearly  supper  time. 

"I  am  here,  Roger." 

"Where  are  the  men?  And  what  kept  you  so 
long?" 

"I  don't  know  where  the  men  are,"  answered 
Dave,  ignoring  the  other  question.  "They  just 
stepped  back  into  the  cabin." 

"Look  out  that  somebody  isn't  shot,"  said  Mess- 
mer,  nervously. 

"Are  they  the  fellows  we  are  after?"  asked  the 
senator's  son. 

"I  am  pretty  sure  they  are,"  whispered  Dave. 
"But  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about  it  later,"  he  added, 
giving  Roger's  arm  a  knowing  squeeze.  "There 
is  something  of  great  importance  in  the  air." 


274     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  should  think  there  would  be — if  these  are  the 
thieves,  Dave." 

"It's  more  than  that.  But  don't  ask  me  about 
it  just  now." 

After  some  hesitation,  the  four  boys  entered  the 
cabin.  The  fire  was  burning  brightly,  so  that  they 
could  see  with  ease.  All  looked  in  consternation. 
Not  a  sign  of  the  two  men  was  to  be  seen  any- 
where. 

"Where  are  they?" 

"They  certainly  came  in  here!" 

"That  is  true — they  did  come  in  here,"  said 
Dave.      "Perhaps  they  are  in  hiding." 

The  boys  began  to  search  around  the  cabin  and 
presently  the  senator's  son  found  a  piece  of  a  log 
that  was  loose.  He  gave  a  push  and  it  rolled 
away,  showing  a  dark  hole,  leading  through  some 
thick  bushes  and  past  some  rocks. 

"This  is  the  way  they  went !"  he  shouted.  "It's 
a  clever  outlet." 

The  passageway  was  so  dark  the  boys  hesitated 
for  a  moment  about  entering  it.  Then  Dave 
caught  up  a  firebrand  and  went  in.  Soon  the 
others  heard  him  shout  from  some  distance  behind 
the  cabin. 

"Come  right  through!"  he  called.  "It's  all 
right." 

They  went  through  and  next  found  themselves 
under  some  tall  trees.     Beyond  was  an  open  space, 


THE  CABIN  ON  THE  ISLAND         275 

and  here  the  tracks  of  the  two  men  were  plainly  to 
be  distinguished.  They  led  to  the  shore  of  the 
island  and  disappeared  on  the  ice  beyond. 

"They've  gotten  away  from  us,"  said  Henshaw, 
disappointedly.     He  was  limping  badly. 

"How's  the  ankle?"  asked  Dave. 

"I  gave  it  a  bad  twist,  but  I  guess  I  can  walk  to 
the  ice-boat." 

Nothing  could  be  seen  in  the  fast-gathering 
darkness,  and  after  remaining  at  the  shore  for  a 
few  minutes,  the  four  retraced  their  steps  to  the 
dilapidated  cabin.  Here  the  fire  was  replenished 
and  the  students  looked  around  for  evidence 
against  the  two  men. 

"They  are  certainly  the  two  men  who  committed 
the  robberies  in  this  district,"  said  Dave.  "They 
as  much  as  admitted  it  themselves.  The  short, 
stout  fellow  is  the  leader  and  he  is  doing  the  work 
for  a  particular  reason.  He  was  once  sent  to 
prison  for  two  years.  Pie  vowed  he  would  get 
square  on  the  twelve  jurymen  and  the  judge  who 
convicted  him.  So  now  he  is  going  around  rob- 
bing one  after  another  of  the  thirteen." 

"Mrs.  Fairchild  wasn't  a  juryman,"  said  Mess- 
mer. 

"No,  but  her  husband  was — the  fellow  men- 
tioned that." 

"It's  a  pity  we  didn't  catch  them,"  said  Roger. 
"We  got  tired  of  waiting  for  you  and  were  afraid 


276     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

you  had  gotten  into  some  kind  of  trouble,"  He 
added,  to  Dave. 

They  looked  around  the  cabin  with  care,  but 
could  find  little  outside  of  the  provisions  previously 
mentioned.  There  were  some  evidences  that  the 
men  had  been  there  a  number  of  times,  but  that 
was  all. 

"This  is  not  their  regular  hanging-out  place," 
said  Dave.  "They  must  have  another  resort — 
where  they  have  at  least  some  of  their  plunder." 

"I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  get  back 
to  the  Hall  and  notify  Dr.  Clay,"  said  Roger. 
"He  can  then  set  the  authorities  on  their  track." 

This  was  considered  good  advice,  and  putting 
out  the  fire,  so  that  it  might  not  destroy  the  cabin, 
they  left  the  place  once  more  and  started  for  the 
spot  where  they  had  left  the  Snowbird. 

To  Henshaw  the  walk  was  a  difficult  one,  and 
the  others  had  to  help  him  over  the  trying  places. 
Consequently,  when  they  at  last  reached  the  shore 
it  was  pitch  dark.  A  cold  north  wind  caused  all 
to  shiver. 

"It  will  be  no  easy  job  steering  back  to  the  Hall 
in  this  darkness,"  said  Messmer.  "A  fellow  can't 
see  fifty  feet  ahead  of  him." 

"Oh,  I  know  the  course  well  enough,"  answered 
Henshaw. 

The  ice-boat  was  found  exactly  as  they  had  left 
it,  and  soon  the  craft  was  shoved  out  on  the  lake. 


THE  CABIN  ON  THE  ISLAND         277 

Then  all  got  aboard,  the  sail  was  hoisted,  and  off 
they  started  for  Oak  Hall. 

"Phew!  but  it  is  getting  cold!"  was  Dave's  re- 
mark, as  he  buttoned  up  his  overcoat. 

"Those  men  will  have  a  cold  walk,  wherever 
they  may  be  going,"  returned  Messmer. 

"They  said  something  about  the  old  mill,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "I'll  tell  you  the  story  after  I've 
seen  Dr.  Clay." 

On  and  on  sped  the  Snowbird  with  the  wind 
shifting  in  her  favor.  It  was  so  cold  the  tears 
streamed  down  the  cheeks  of  all  the  boys  and 
Roger  declared  that  his  ears  were  about  frozen. 
They  tried  to  look  ahead,  but  could  see  next  to 
nothing. 

"Henshaw,  are  you  sure  of  your  course?"  asked 
Dave,  presently. 

"I  think  I  am,"  was  the  hesitating  response. 
"But  it  is  dark,  no  two  ways  about  it." 

The  wind  now  took  another  turn  and  the  ice- 
boat bore  away  to  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  Hen- 
shaw did  what  he  could  to  bring  the  craft  about, 
but  two  minutes  later  came  a  grating  jar  and  every- 
body was  pitched  off  into  a  snowbank,  some  heels 
over  head. 

"I  guess  we've  landed!"  spluttered  Roger,  as  he 
pulled  himself  to  his  feet.  "Henshaw,  what  did 
you  do  that  for?" 

"I — I  didn't  know  we  were  going  ashore,"  re- 


2/8     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

plied  Henshaw,  who  had  gone  head  first  into  the 
snow  himself.      "Anybody  hurt?" 

One  after  another  got  up.  Fortunately  nobody 
had  been  hurt.  Messmer  had  some  of  the  snow 
down  his  back  and  Dave  had  some  up  his  coat 
sleeve.     The  ice-boat  was  as  good  as  ever. 

"Now  we  want  to  be  more  careful,"  said  Dave, 
as  they  hauled  the  craft  on  the  lake  once  more. 
"One  such  spill  is  enough." 

"That's  true,"  said  Roger.  Then  the  journey 
was  resumed,  nobody  dreaming  of  the  accident  so 
close  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

dave's  heroism 

As  the  ice-boat  swept  along  Dave  revolved  in  his 
mind  all  that  he  had  heard  at  the  old  cabin. 

He  could  place  but  one  meaning  on  the  words 
spoken  by  the  two  criminals  regarding  two  school- 
boys. They  must  refer  to  Nick  Jasniff  and  Gus 
Plum. 

"Can  it  be  that  those  two  are  in  with  such  ras- 
cals?" he  asked  himself.  "I  might  think  it  of 
Jasniff,  but  I  never  dreamed  Plum  could  be  quite 
so  bad.  And  yet  last  season  he  did  some  pretty 
crooked  work  with  the  valuable  postage  stamps 
that  disappeared." 

On  and  on  swept  the  Snowbird,  through  the 
darkness  of  the  night.  It  was  growing  colder 
each  moment,  and  the  cutting  wind  made  each  of 
the  lads  shiver.  Dave  wanted  to  tell  Roger  his 
tale  in  full,  but  now  was  no  time  for  connected  con- 
versation. 

Suddenly  out  of  the  darkness  loomed  a  strange 
object,  moving  in  almost  the  same  direction  as  the 
Snowbird.  It  was  the  ice-boat  belonging  to  the 
Rockville  cadets. 

279 


280     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Look  out!"  yelled  Henshaw,  while  Messmer 
gave  a  scream  of  fright.  Then  both  ice-boats  ap- 
peared to  turn  toward  each  other,  there  came  a 
grinding,  rending  crash,  and  in  a  twinkling  Dave 
found  himself  spinning  on  his  back  over  the  ice 
with  Roger  beside  him. 

Fortunately  for  Dave  he  landed  in  such  a 
fashion  that  he  received  little  more  harm  than  a 
thorough  shaking  up.  He  slid  a  distance  of  two 
hundred  feet  and  then  came  to  a  stop  in  a  small 
ridge  of  snow. 

"Hello,  I  wonder  if  anybody  is  hurt?"  he  asked 
himself,  and  got  to  his  feet  as  quickly  as  possible. 
He  walked  back  to  the  scene  of  the  collision  and 
soon  ran  into  the  senator's  son. 

"Are  you  all  right,  Dave?" 

"Yes,  Roger;  how  about  you?" 

"Got  shaken  up,  that's  all." 

"Help  !  help  !"  came  faintly  from  one  of  the  ice- 
boats, and  running  back  Dave  and  Roger  saw  Hen- 
shaw on  the  ice,  with  the  overturned  Snowbird  on 
top  of  him.  Close  at  hand  lay  the  second  ice-boat, 
and  it  was  plain  to  see  that  both  craft  were  much 
damaged. 

Messmer  was  near,  suffering  from  a  cut  on 
his  hand,  yet  he  was  willing  to  go  to  Henshaw's 
assistance.  The  bow  end  of  the  Snowbird  was 
raised  and  Henshaw  dragged  himself  forth. 

"Are  you  badly  hurt?"  asked  Dave,  anxiously. 


DAVE'S  HEROISM  281 

"My  left  leg  got  a  pretty  good  squeeze,"  an- 
swered Henshaw,  trying  to  limp  around  on  the 
member.  "I  am  afraid  I  can't  walk  on  it."  And 
he  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  overturned  ice-boat. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Rockville  cadets  were  pull- 
ing themselves  together.  All  had  been  bruised 
and  scratched  a  little,  but  that  was  all.  Their  ice- 
boat, too,  had  tgone  over,  and  the  runners  were 
partly  broken. 

"That  was  your  fault!"  growled  one  of  the 
cadets,  striding  over  to  the  students  of  Oak 
Hall. 

"No  more  our  fault  than  yours,"  answered 
Dave. 

"You  ran  right  into  us." 

"You  did  as  much  of  the  running  in  as  we  did," 
answered  Roger. 

"Do  you  suppose  I  got  my  leg  hurt  for  fun?" 
growled  Henshaw. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  questioned  another  of  the 
cadets. 

"I  am." 

"Well,  I  am  sorry  for  that." 

The  fact  that  Henshaw  was  hurt  caused  the 
Rockville  boys  to  become  a  little  more  friendly, 
and  two  of  them  said  they  would  do  what  they 
could  for  the  sufferer.  No  more  was  said  about 
the  cause  of  the  accident,  which  was  in  reality  the 
fault  of  both  parties  equally. 


282     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Nothing  much  could  be  done  for  Henshaw.  It 
pained  him  to  stand  on  the  injured  leg  and  so  he 
remained  sitting  down.  The  other  boys  began  to 
inspect  both  ice-boats.  It  was  found  that  they 
were  badly  broken  at  the  bow  and  both  masts  were 
loosened.  As  a  consequence,  while  they  could  be 
used,  progress  on  the  river,  even  before  the  wind, 
would  be  slow. 

"This  is  too  bad,"  observed  Dave.  "We  ought 
to  get  back  to  Oak  Hall  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
tell  the  doctor  what  we  have  learned." 

After  a  good  deal  of  tugging  both  ice-boats  were 
righted  and  each  party  boarded  its  own  craft.  On 
they  went  in  the  darkness  and  soon  separated,  the 
craft  from  Rockville  doing  a  little  better  than  that 
containing  our  friends. 

"I  don't  think  we'll  get  back  to  the  Hall  much 
before  midnight,"  said  Dave,  and  this  proved  to  be 
the  case.  It  lacked  just  ten  minutes  of  that  time 
when  they  tied  up  at  the  boathouse.  Henshaw's 
leg  was  now  stiff  and  the  others  had  to  carry  him 
to  the  door. 

"Ha!  so  I  have  caught  you!"  exclaimed  Job 
Haskers,  as  he  suddenly  showed  himself.  "What 
do  you  mean  by  coming  in  at  this  late  hour?" 

"We've  had  an  accident — Henshaw  is  hurt," 
answered  Roger. 

At  this  announcement  the  teacher's  face  took  on 
a  sour  look. 


DAVE'S  HEROISM  283 

uAn  accident,  eh?  You  are  quite  sure?"  he 
demanded,  with  a  suspicious  look  at  Henshaw. 

"Yes,  I'm  sure,"  grumbled  the  hurt  one.  "We 
had  a  collision  with  another  ice-boat,  and  when  our 
craft  turned  over  I  was  caught  underneath." 

"What  is  the  trouble  there?"  came  in  Dr.  Clay's 
voice,  and  he  showed  himself  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs  and  then  came  down.  After  asking  a  few 
questions  he  had  Henshaw  taken  to  a  private  bed- 
chamber, where  the  injured  limb  was  carefully  ex- 
amined and  then  bathed  with  liniment. 

"I  wish  to  see  you  in  private,  Dr.  Clay,"  said 
Dave.  "Perhaps  Morr  and  Messmer  will  want  to 
see  you  too." 

"Very  well,  come  into  the  office,"  answered  the 
master  of  Oak  Hall,  and  led  the  way.  He  made  a 
light  and  then  faced  the  three  students  who  had 
followed  him. 

In  a  plain,  straightforward  manner  Dave  told 
of  the  visit  to  the  rocky  island  and  the  old  cabin, 
and  of  what  the  two  men  had  said.  He  did  not 
mention  the  talk  about  the  two  schoolboys,  al- 
though strongly  tempted  to  do  so.  He  said  the 
two  men  expected  to  go  to  the  old  mill,  near  Na- 
bill's  farm,  the  next  day. 

"This  is  very  important,"  exclaimed  the  doctor, 
when  he  had  finished.  "I  must  notify  the  authori- 
ties at  once,  and  we  must  do  everything  we  canto 
capture  the  rascals." 


284     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Can  I  do  anything?"  asked  Roger. 

"I  think  not.  As  you  say  one  man  is  very  tall 
and  the  other  very  short,  it  ought  not  to  be  a  very 
difficult  matter  to  recognize  them  if  they  show 
themselves.  The  old  mill  is  also  well  known,  so 
there  can  be  no  mistake." 

"Of  course,  they  may  not  go  to  the  mill  now," 
went  on  Dave. 

"That  is  true.  But  I  will  have  the  authorities 
keep  a  close  watch  all  around  this  district  and  also 
at  the  railroad  stations.  As  he  has  been  in  prison 
this  Pud  Frodel  must  be  known." 

After  that  the  doctor  told  the  boys  they  had 
better  go  to  bed,  and  they  did  so.  But  it  was  an 
hour  before  Dave  could  get  to  sleep.  Once  he 
thought  of  getting  up  and  visiting  Gus  Plum's 
dormitory,  but  gave  up  the  idea,  knowing  that  all 
the  others  would  want  to  know  what  was  doing. 

In  the  morning  the  weather  changed.  It  was 
not  so  cold,  but  the  snow  was  coming  down  thickly 
and  the  wind  sent  it  swirling  in  all  directions.  Al- 
ready the  ground  was  covered  to  a  depth  of  several 
inches,  and  there  was  no  telling  when  the  storm 
would  cease. 

"This  will  make  it  hard  to  track  those  men," 
observed  Roger,  as  he  and  Dave  came  down  for 
breakfast. 

"Roger,  I  want  to  tell  you  something,"  said 
Dave,  and  as  the  pair  walked  to  a  secluded  corner 


DAVE'S  HEROISM  285 

of  a  hallway  Dave  told  his  chum  what  had 
been  on  his  mind  since  the  visit  to  the  lonely  cabin. 

"Oh,  Dave!  can  this  be  true?"  cried  the 
senator's  son,  in  horror.  "Can  Jasniff  and  Plum 
really  be  mixed  up  in  this?" 

"It  looks  like  it  to  me,  Roger,"  was  Dave's  slow 
reply.  "And  yet  I  shouldn't  want  to  say  a  word 
until  I  was  certain.  Jasniff  I  know  is  bad, — and 
so  is  Plum,  for  the  matter  of  that.  But  there  is  a 
difference  between  them." 

"I  know  it,  Dave.  Jasniff  is  wicked  at  heart, 
while  Gus  is  more  a  bully  and  headstrong."  The 
senator's  son  paused.  "What  do  you  propose  to 
do?" 

"I've  been  thinking  of  having  a  straight  talk 
with  Plum.  Of  course,  if  he  is  really  in  with  those 
robbers  I'll  have  to  expose  him." 

The  chums  talked  the  matter  over  for  several 
minutes  and  then  went  in  to  breakfast.  Plum  was 
there,  but  Dave  noticed  that  the  bully  ate  little. 
Soon  Plum  arose  and  left  the  dining  room  ab- 
ruptly. Dave  followed,  why  he  could  hardly  tell. 
But  he  had  a  feeling  that  he  must  follow  Plum 
then  and  there. 

The  bully  of  Oak  Hall  passed  from  the  hall  to 
the  coat  room,  and  there  donned  his  overcoat,  hat, 
and  rubbers.  Then  he  walked  to  a  side  door,  and 
opening  it  cautiously,  stepped  out  into  the  howling 
storm. 


286     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Dave  was  now  certain  something  unusual  was  in 
the  wind,  for  the  school  session  would  begin  in 
twenty  minutes  and  he  knew  Plum  would  not  go 
out  in  such  a  storm  without  good  reason.  Quickly 
he  donned  his  own  coat,  hat,  and  rubbers  and  fol- 
lowed to  the  outside  of  the  school  building.  He 
saw  Plum  running  across  the  campus  and  he  fol- 
lowed. Then  the  bully  leaped  the  boxwood  hedge 
and  came  out  on  a  road  leading  to  a  village  called 
Bagor,  a  short  distance  from  Rockville. 

"Perhaps  he  is  going  to  meet  Jasniff,"  Dave 
reasoned.  "He  must  be  pretty  well  upset.  I 
don't  believe  he  even  got  permission  to  leave." 

The  road  led  through  a  wood  and  then  up  a  long 
hill.  The  snow  was  so  thick  that  Dave  had  all  he 
could  do  to  keep  Plum  in  sight.  The  bully  of  the 
Hall  walked  rapidly,  his  head  bent  low  and  his 
hands  rammed  well  down  in  his  overcoat  pockets. 

The  high  ground  at  the  top  of  the  hill  gained, 
Plum  struck  off  to  the  southeast,  in  the  direction  of 
the  railroad  tracks.  Inside  of  five  minutes  he 
reached  a  point  where  the  tracks  ran  through  a 
deep  cut.  On  either  side  were  tall  trees,  and  the 
sloping  banks  of  the  cut  ran  down  almost  to  the 
rails,  now  covered  with  snow. 

At  the  edge  of  the  cut  Plum  paused  again.  He 
looked  up  and  down  the  opening,  as  if  undecided 
in  what  direction  to  turn.  Far  away  a  locomotive 
whistle  sounded  and  a  freight  train  appeared  in 


DAVE'S  HEROISM  287 

sight,  rolling  forward  rapidly  on  a  slight  down- 
grade. 

As  the  freight  train  came  closer  Plum  prepared 
to  climb  down  the  steep  slope  of  the  cut.  All  was 
covered  with  ice  and  snow,  and  he  had  taken  but  a 
dozen  steps  when  he  lost  his  footing  and  his  hold 
and  rolled  over  and  over.  Then  he  struck  a  pro- 
jecting rock  and  the  next  instant  pitched  forward 
on  his  head,  rolled  over  and  over  once  more,  and 
landed  squarely  on  the  tracks  below ! 

Dave  was  close  to  the  edge  of  the  cut  and  saw 
the  whole  occurrence.  When  Plum  struck  on  his 
head  he  uttered  a  deep  groan,  showing  that  he  was 
injured.  Then,  as  he  lay  on  the  tracks,  he  did  not 
move. 

"He  is  unconscious!"  thought  Dave,  and  a  chill 
of  horror  swept  over  him.  He  looked  along  the 
cut.  The  freight  train  was  sweeping  forward, 
directly  for  the  unconscious  youth.  In  half  a 
minute  more  it  would  reach  Plum  and  run  over 
him.  He  heard  a  fierce  whistle,  as  the  locomotive 
engineer  gave  the  signal  for  brakes,  and  the  engine 
itself  was  reversed.  But  the  grade  was  too  great 
and  the  train  too  heavy  for  a  sudden  stop. 

Dave's  heart  leaped  into  his  throat.  Was  Plum 
to  be  ground  up  under  his  very  eyes?  He  had  no 
great  love  for  the  bully,  but  at  that  moment  his 
heart  went  out  to  him  as  if  he  were  a  brother. 

"I  must  save  him — if  I  can!"  he  told  himself. 


288     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"He  must  not  be  killed  if  I  can  help  it!"  And 
then,  throwing  himself  face  downward,  he  slid 
over  the  ice  and  snow  to  the  bottom  of  the  cut. 
His  hands  and  face  were  scratched,  but  he  paid  no 
heed.  As  he  touched  the  bottom  he  leaped  up. 
The  train  was  less  than  fifty  feet  away,  the  wheels 
grinding  sharply  on  the  tracks.  He  made  one 
wild  leap  forward,  caught  Plum  by  the  feet  and 
dragged  him  out  of  harm's  way.  Then  the  train 
rolled  on,  coming  to  a  stop  a  few  seconds  later. 


He  made  one  wild  leap  forward.  —  Page  288. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

gus  plum's  confession 

"You  did  this  for  me,  you !  Oh,  Dave  Porter, 
how  could  you  do  it?     How  could  you?" 

It  was  Plum  who  spoke.  He  sat  on  a  fallen 
tree  not  far  away  from  the  railroad  cut.  His  fore- 
head was  swollen  and  there  was  a  cut  on  his  cheek, 
but  otherwise  he  had  quite  recovered  from  the 
shock  received.  The  train,  after  stopping  for  a 
few  minutes,  had  gone  on,  and  the  two  youths  were 
alone. 

Plum's  voice  was  choked  with  emotion.  He 
had  come  to  his  senses  to  find  Dave  and  the  fireman 
of  the  train  bending  over  him.  It  was  the  fireman 
who  had  told  of  Dave's  brave  deed. 

"Pluckiest  thing  I  ever  see  in  my  born  days,"  the 
fireman  had  said.  "He  came  down  the  slope  pell- 
mell  and  hauled  you  off  the  track  just  as  we  hit  the 
spot." 

Then  the  fireman  and  the  train  had  gone  on  and 
Dave  had  done  what  he  could  for  the  bully.  Plum 
was  trembling  like  a  leaf  and  found  it  next  to  im- 

289 


290     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

possible  to  control  himself.  Twice  before  he  had 
tried  to  speak  but  his  voice  had  failed  him. 

"You  are  sure  you  are  not  hurt?"  asked  Dave. 
He  himself  hardly  knew  what  to  say.  The  excite- 
ment of  the  occasion  had  put  him  in  a  dripping 
perspiration. 

"Oh,  I  don't  care  if  I  am!"  replied  Plum.  "I— 
I  wish — I  wish  I  was  dead!" 

"Plum!" 

"Yes,  I  do!  I — I — but  I  can't  talk  about  it. 
And  to  think  you  did  this  for  me,  you !  Why,  I 
thought  you  hated  me  I" 

"Perhaps  I  did,  Gus.  But  I  didn't  hate  you 
when  I  saw  you  on  the  tracks  unconscious." 

"You  did  more  for  me  than  I  should  ever  have 
done  for  you." 

"Maybe  not." 

"I  know  it,  Porter,  for — well,  you  know  how  I 
have  hated  you.  But  I  am  not  going  to  be  that 
way  any  more — I  couldn't!" 

After  this  there  was  a  silence.  Each  boy  wanted 
to  say  something,  but  hardly  knew  how  to  get  at  it. 
Finally  Dave  broke  the  ice. 

"Gus,  what  brought  you  to  this  spot  this  morn- 
ing?" he  questioned. 

"Oh,  don't  ask  me!  I  was  crazy,  I  guess.  I 
wanted  to  get  away — I  never  wanted  to  see  Oak 
Hall  or  anybody  again!" 

"Were  you  going  to  run  away?" 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  291 

"I  guess  so — I  don't  know.  I  didn't  sleep  last 
night  nor  the  night  before." 

"Gus,  tell  me  the  truth,  will  you?"  went  on 
Dave,  boldly.  "Are  you  working  with  those  fel- 
lows who  robbed  the  Rockville  railroad  station  and 
those  other  places?" 

"No!  no!  Oh,  Porter!  Dave!  What  do  you 
know  about  this — about  me?"  Plum's  face  grew 
as  white  as  the  snow  around  them.  "I — I  heard 
what  you  told  Dr.  Clay  last  night — I  was  listening 
at  the  door.  Do  you — do  you  know  anything 
more?" 

"I  do  and  I  don't,  Gus.  Those  men  said  some- 
thing about  two  schoolboys,  and  I  and  some  others 
saw  you  in  Rockville  the  night  of  the  robbery. 
More  than  that,  I  know  what  sort  of  a  fellow  Nick 
Jasniff  is,  and  you  and  he  are  always  together." 

"Dave,  I  didn't  steal  any  money,  I  give  you  my 
word  I  didn't !  I  was  led  along  by  Jasniff.  I  was 
in  debt  and  I  needed  money  badly.  Jasniff  said  he 
knew  where  he  could  borrow  some  for  me,  and  he 
did  get  me  fifty  dollars.  Then  he  introduced  me 
to  that  short  man,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Sloan, 
and  to  the  tall  man,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Car- 
son. It  seems  Jasniff  knew  Sloan,  or  Pud  Frodel, 
years  ago,  before  he  was  sent  to  prison.  The  tall 
man  isn't  over-bright  and  he  is  simply  Pud  Frodel's 
tool.  One  day  I  was  talking  to  the  tall  man  and  I 
soon  found  out  what  sort  of  a  crowd  they  were, 


292     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

although  the  tall  fellow  didn't  say  so  in  so  many 
words.  Then  I  wanted  to  cut  them,  and  cut  Nick 
Jasniff  too,  but  Jasniff  said  if  I  did,  he'd  write  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Clay  exposing  me.  Jasniff,  after  he 
ran  away  from  the  Hall,  went  right  in  with  the 
robbers  and  he  wanted  me  to  go  in,  but  I  up  and 
told  him  I  wouldn't  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
him  and  with  those  rascals." 

"Good  for  you,  Gus !"  cried  Dave,  heartily.  "I 
am  glad  to  hear  that." 

"Wait,  I  am  not  done  yet.  Jasniff  tried  to 
smooth  matters  over  and  asked  me  to  meet  him  at 
Rockville.  I  did  so,  as  you  know,  and  I  met  the 
men  too.  We  had  a  meal  together  and  I  was 
drugged.  After  that  I  don't  know  what  I  did. 
When  I  was  myself  again  Jasniff  said  I  had  helped 
to  rob  the  railroad  station." 

"But  did  you?" 

"I  don't  think  so,  although  I  remember  being 
taken  to  somewhere  in  a  carriage  and  seeing  the 
lights  of  the  station.  After  that,  I  had  some  hot 
words  with  Jasniff  and  came  back  to  the  Hall. 
Then  Jasniff  sent  a  letter,  stating  he  would  surely 
expose  me  if  I  opened  my  mouth  to  anybody. 
Then  came  your  news  to  the  doctor.  If  those  men 
are  captured,  and  Jasniff  with  them,  they  will 
surely  drag  me  into  the  affair!  How  am  I  going 
to  face  it — especially  after  what  happened  last 
summer?    Oh,  I  wish  I  was  dead!" 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  293 

Gus  Plum's  lips  began  to  tremble  and  the  tears 
stood  in  his  eyes.  His  better  nature  was  struggling 
to  the  surface,  and  he  was  a  most  miserable  object 
to  behold.  Dave  pitied  the  lad  from  the  bottom 
of  his  heart. 

"It  certainly  does  look  black,  Gus,"  he  said. 
"But  if  you  are  not  guilty  I'd  face  the  music  if  I 
were  you.  If  those  men  are  brought  into  court 
you  can  turn  witness  against  them,  and  against 
Jasniff  too.  I  know  it  will  hurt  you  in  school — 
but  if  you  don't  want  to  stay  here  you  can  go  to 
some  other  academy." 

After  this  Dave  talked  to  Gus  Plum  for  a  full 
half-hour,  giving  the  other  boy  his  best  advice. 
Both  lads  were  so  excited  that  neither  minded  the 
snow  and  the  cold.  Plum  was  in  a  deeply  penitent 
mood  and  during  the  course  of  the  conversation 
told  how  he  and  Jasniff  and  Poole  had  cut  down 
the  tree  and  let  it  fall  on  the  roadway,  so  that  Dave 
and  Babcock  had  been  pitched  off  their  wheels,  and 
he  also  told  of  how  Henshaw  had  been  drugged 
previous  to  the  football  game,  and  of  several  other 
mean  things  that  had  been  accomplished. 

"And  then  to  think  that  on  top  of  it  all  you 
saved  my  life,"  Plum  went  on.  "Oh,  Dave,  I 
can't  understand  it!  You're  the  best  boy 
alive!" 

"Oh,  no,  I  am  not,"  answered  Dave.  "I've  got 
lots  of  faults  of  my  own,  Gus,  lots  of  them!" 


294     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"But  you're  not  mean  like  me — and  not  dis- 
honest.    I  don't  wonder  the  fellows  like  you." 

At  last  they  started  back  for  the  school,  the  snow 
pelting  them  in  the  face  as  they  journeyed  along. 
Each  boy  was  busy  with  his  thoughts  and  but  little 
was  said.  When  they  came  in  sight  of  the  Hall 
Gus  Plum  halted. 

"Oh,  I  can't  do  it !     I  can't !"  he  almost  sobbed. 

"Come,  I'll  go  with  you  to  Dr.  Clay,"  answered 
Dave,  and  linked  his  arm  in  that  of  the  other 
youth.  Thus  they  entered  a  side  door  and  passed 
directly  to  the  office.  Here,  when  confronted  by 
the  master  of  Oak  Hall,  Gus  Plum  burst  into  bitter 
tears  and  it  was  several  minutes  before  he  could 
utter  a  word. 

When  the  confession  had  been  finally  made  Gus 
Plum's  face  wore  a  more  peaceful  look  than  it  had 
for  many  a  day.  He  kept  nothing  back,  nor  did 
he  try  to  defend  himself  in  the  least.  He  wanted 
Dave  to  remain  in  the  office  and  addressed  his 
words  quite  as  much  to  his  fellow  student  as  to  the 
master  of  the  Hall. 

"I  know  I  am  not  fit  to  remain  here,  Dr.  Clay," 
he  said  at  last.  "And  if  you  send  me  home  I  shall 
not  complain.  But  please  don't  hand  me  over  to 
the  police !     Anything  but  that !" 

It  was  then  that  Dr.  Clay  spoke,  and  never  had 
Dave  seen  him  more  stern  and  at  the  same  time 
dignified.      In  well-chosen  words   he   told   Plum 


GUS  PLUM'S  CONFESSION  295 

what  he  thought  of  his  pupil's  meanness  and  base- 
ness. 

"By  your  own  confession,  you  acknowledge 
doing  things  of  which  I  did  not  dream  a  pupil  of 
mine  could  be  guilty.  You  have  endangered  the 
very  lives  of  Porter  and  Babcock,  as  well  as  the  life 
of  little  Frank  Bond.  More  than  this,  you  have 
been  guilty  of  drinking  and  gambling,  and  you 
have  been  the  companion  of  common  criminals. 
And  this  on  top  of  what  happened  last  year! 
Plum,  I  do  not  see  how  I  can  forgive  you.  You 
have  been  a  discredit  to  this  school,  and  if  I  hand 
you  over  to  the  police  it  will  serve  you  right." 

"Dr.  Clay!"  It  was  Dave  who  spoke.  He 
was  filled  with  emotion  that  he  could  not  suppress. 
"Please  don't  do  that !  For  my  part,  I  am  willing 
to  forgive  Gus  for  what  he  did  to  me.  Please 
give  him  another  chance,  just  one!  If  you  hand 
him  over  to  the  police  you'll  blast  his  reputation 
forever!" 

The  doctor  turned  to  the  speaker  in  surprise, 
and  as  Dave  went  on,  pleading  the  cause  of  his 
former  enemy,  the  master's  face  gradually  relaxed. 
He  sat  back  in  his  chair,  folded  his  arms,  and  cast 
a  searching  gaze  on  Gus  Plum's  pale,  haggard 
features. 

"Plum,  listen  to  me,"  he  said,  and  now  there  was 
a  trace  of  kindness  in  his  tones.  "If  I  give  you 
one  more  chance " 


296    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"Oh,  Dr.  Clay,  if  you'll  do  that!"  sobbed  the 
boy,  "I'll — I'll  try  to  be  better !  I'll  try  to  give  up 
my  bad  habits!  I  never  realized  until  now  how 
really  bad  I  have  been !  Just  give  me  the  chance, 
and  I'll  be  better!  I'll  do  as  Chip  Macklin  is 
doing.  Chip  was  never  as  bad  as  I've  been,  but 
you  know  how  he  has  changed.  I  want  to  do  bet- 
ter— I  want  to  make  something  of  myself,  as  Por- 
ter is  doing.     Please  give  me  one  more  chance  I" 

"I'll  do  it!"  said  the  doctor,  softly,  almost 
fatherly. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE    MEDAL    OF    HONOR — CONCLUSION 

Throughout  Oak  Hall  there  was  an  air  of 
mystery  that  day.  Gus  Plum  did  not  show  him- 
self and  Dave  did  not  come  to  his  class  until  after 
dinner.  When  Dave  did  appear  many  wanted  to 
question  him,  but  he  evaded  the  crowd  and  took  no 
one  but  Roger  into  his  confidence,  although  later  he 
told  Babcock  and  Henshaw  how  Plum  had  con- 
fessed to  what  had  been  done  previous  to  the  foot- 
ball game. 

"That  was  dastardly,"  said  Babcock. 

"I  know  it,"  said  Dave.  "But  believe  me,  Plum 
is  suffering  for  it.  He  has  a  great  deal  on  his 
mind,  and  it  will  be  a  real  act  of  charity  on  your 
part  if  you  forgive  him.  He  has  promised  Dr. 
Clay  that  he  will  reform,  and  I  think  we  ought  to 
help  him  to  do  it." 

"He  can't  reform — it  isn't  in  him,"  said  Hen- 
shaw, promptly. 

"I  can't  believe  you,"  answered  Dave.  "If  you 
had  seen  what  I  saw  you'd  think  better  of  Gus. 
He  has  a  good  side  to  him  as  well  as  a  bad  side.     I 

297 


298     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

am  going  to  give  him  a  chance  and  I  hope  all  the 
other  fellows  will  too." 

"But  what  is  it  all  about?"  insisted  Buster 
Beggs.     "Jasniff?" 

"Yes,  Jasniff  is  mixed  up  in  it,  and  he  did  his 
best  to  get  Plum  into  a  lot  of  trouble.  Perhaps 
you'll  hear  all  about  it  some  day.  I  have  promised 
to  keep  quiet,  so  I  can't  say  anything, — and  I  don't 
want  to  speak  about  it  anyway,"  added  Dave,  with 
feeling. 

The  snowstorm  lasted  for  three  days,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  no  word  came  in  from  the  authorities 
who  were  trying  to  catch  Pud  Frodel  and  his  com- 
panion in  crime.  The  doctor  had  notified  the 
representatives  of  the  law  of  the  proposed  meeting 
at  the  old  mill,  and  some  officers  had  gone  there, 
Only  to  find  that  the  evildoers  had  changed  their 
plans. 

It  was  hard  for  Dave  to  settle  down  to  his  les- 
sons, yet  he  did  his  best,  for  the  examinations  were 
now  close  at  hand  and  he  still  had  his  eye  fixed  on 
the  medal  of  honor.  Plum  came  back  to  his  class 
and  was  a  changed  person.  Whenever  he  recited 
he  did  so  in  a  low  voice,  and  the  minute  he  was  dis- 
missed he  disappeared,  where,  none  of  the  pupils 
seemed  to  know.  He  was  occupying  a  small  room 
by  himself  and  kept  the  door  locked. 

At  last  the  storm  cleared  away  and  then  came  in 
word  that  one  of  the  men,  the  fellow  called  Hunk, 


MEDAL  OF  HONOR— CONCLUSION     299 

had  been  caught.  He  was  closely  questioned,  and 
being  rather  simple-minded,  as  previously  men- 
tioned, said  that  Pud  Frodel  had  gone  to  New 
York,  in  company  with  Nick  Jasniff.  He  said  that 
Jasniff  was  now  hand-in-glove  with  Frodel,  and 
that  the  two  were  planning  more  mischief. 

Upon  this  news  Dr.  Clay  sent  a  cablegram  to 
Mr.  Jasniff,  who  was  in  London,  that  Nick  had 
run  away  from  school  and  also  sent  a  letter  of 
particulars.  Later  word  came  back  that  Mr.  Jas- 
niff would  have  a  relative  look  for  Nick  and  would 
be  back  himself  as  soon  as  he  could  arrange  certain 
business  matters. 

At  last  came  the  day  for  the  school  examinations. 
Dave  was  fully  prepared  for  them,  and  when  he 
came  out  three  points  ahead  of  everybody  else  no- 
body was  surprised.  Polly  Vane  stood  second, 
Roger  fourth,  Ben  sixth,  and  Shadow  eighth.  Gus 
Plum  stood  tenth,  much  to  the  surprise  of  many 
who  had  imagined  he  would  come  out  close  to  the 
end. 

"Dave  Porter  wins  the  medal  of  honor  1"  said 
a  dozen. 

"Hurrah  for  Dave!"  cried  Roger,  and  the 
cheers  were  given  with  a  will. 

The  medal  was  presented  to  Dave  by  the  doctor. 
The  entire  school  was  assembled  for  the  occasion, 
and  Dr.  Clay  made  a  neat  address,  in  which  he 
complimented  the  winner  on  the  creditable  showing 
he  had  made. 


300    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"I  am  highly  pleased  to  give  Master  David  Por- 
ter this  medal,"  said  the  master  of  the  Hall.  "He 
deserves  it  in  more  ways  than  one.  Why,  some 
one  else  will  tell." 

And  then,  to  the  amazement  of  all,  Gus  Plum 
got  up  from  his  seat,  walked  quietly  but  firmly  to 
the  platform  and  faced  his  fellow  students,  his  face 
red  but  determined. 

"I  want  to  say  a  few  words  about  Dave  Porter," 
he  said,  looking  around  from  one  face  to  another. 
"You  all  know  me  and  you  know  how  I  have  acted 
towards  Dave.  Well,  Dave  saved  my  life,  and 
more  than  that,  he  has  proved  himself  my  best 
friend.  He  stood  by  me  at  a  time  when  I  guess 
every  other  fellow  in  the  world  would  have  turned 
his  back  on  me.  That's  why  he  deserves  a  medal 
of  honor, — and  would  deserve  it  even  if  he  was  at 
the  bottom  of  the  class."  Plum  paused  a  moment. 
"I  ought  not  to  speak  about  myself — I  guess  the 
doctor  didn't  think  I  would.  But  I  want  to  say 
before  you  all  that  I  am  going  to  try  to  be  different 
from  what  I  used  to  be.  The  doctor  might  have 
sent  me  away  from  this  school  for  what  I  did,  but 
Dave  Porter  spoke  up  for  me,  and  now  I  am  to 
have  another  chance  here — and  I  am  going  to 
make  the  best  of  it.     That's  all." 

Gus  Plum  bowed  and  walked  back  to  his  seat. 
There  were  murmurs  all  around,  and  a  few  hisses, 
but  the  majority  of  the  students  looked  at  Plum  en- 


MEDAL  OF  HONOR— CONCLUSION     301 

couragingly.  He  kept  his  eyes  down,  looking  at 
nobody.  Roger  reached  over  and  shook  hands, 
and  then  a  number  of  others  did  the  same. 

"What  Plum  has  said  about  Porter  is  strictly 
true,"  said  the  doctor,  coming  forward  again. 
"Therefore  I  take  the  greatest  of  pleasure  in  pre- 
senting the  medal  of  honor  to  the  winner,  and  with 
it  I  wish  him  the  best  of  luck  throughout  life !" 

A  cheer  went  up,  in  which  Gus  Plum  joined 
heartily.  Then  other  prizes  were  presented,  after 
which  school  was  dismissed  for  the  day. 

Plum's  speech  had  a  tremendous  effect.  All 
wanted  to  know  how  Dave  had  saved  his  life  and 
the  story  had  to  be  told  over  and  over  again.  Lit- 
tle was  said  about  why  the  former  bully  had  left 
school  that  snowy  morning,  and  the  boys  knew 
enough  not  to  ask  too  many  questions. 

"I  really  think  he'll  turn  over  a  new  leaf,"  said 
Ben.  "He  seems  to  have  awakened  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  how  he  was  drifting." 

"I  hope  with  all  my  heart  he  does  try  to  do  bet- 
ter," said  Roger.  "I  am  going  to  do  as  Dave  is 
doing — encourage  him  all  I  can."  And  then  Ben 
and  a  number  of  others  said  the  same. 

That  day  came  a  welcome  letter  from  Phil  Law- 
rence. He  was  getting  better  rapidly  now  and  ex- 
pected to  come  back  to  Oak  Hall  in  a  few  weeks. 

"This  is  glorious  news !"  cried  Dave.  "Poor 
Phil!     How  he  has  suffered!" 


302     DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

"And  all  for  the  glory  of  a  football  game,"  an- 
swered Roger.  "Pretty  rough  sport,  no  mistake 
about  it." 

"Well,  that's  what  makes  it  exciting,"  said  Bus- 
ter Beggs. 

"Which  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  came  from 
Shadow.  "A  boy  went  to  the  country  for  his 
health.  After  he  had  been  there  a  week  he  wrote 
to  his  mother:  'Having  dead  loads  of  fun.  Fell 
from  the  cherry  tree  and  sprained  my  wrist,  had 
the  bull  horn  me  over  a  fence,  got  sick  eating  green 
apples,  and  yesterday,  when  I  fell  in  the  well,  I  lost 
the  dollar  pop  gave  me.  Send  another  dollar  and 
it  will  be  all  right.'  "  And  the  usual  short  laugh 
went  up. 

On  Monday  came  in  news  that  Pud  Frodel 
had  been  captured.  It  was  also  learned  that 
Nick  Jasniff  had  sneaked  on  board  of  a  steamer 
and  sailed  for  Europe.  The  next  day  Gus 
Plum  received  a  letter  which  he  showed  to 
the  doctor  and  to  Dave.  It  ran  in  part  as  fol- 
lows: 

"You  were  a  fool  to  go  back  on  me.  If  you 
had  stuck  to  me  we  could  have  made  a  lot  of 
money.  They  are  after  both  of  the  men,  so  I  am 
going  to  clear  out.  I've  got  several  hundred  dol- 
lars and  I  expect  to  have  a  good  time  in  Europe 
on  it." 


MEDAL  OF  HONOR— CONCLUSION     303 

This  communication  was  unsigned  but  was  in 
Nick  Jasniff's  handwriting.  Gus  Plum  shivered  as 
he  perused  it. 

"I  am  glad  I  did  not  stick  by  him,"  said  he.  "I 
am  sorry  I  ever  had  anything  to  do  with  him." 

"His  influence  in  this  school  was  certainly  very 
bad,"  said  Dr.  Clay. 

Later  on  the  two  men  were  tried  and  convicted, 
and  each  received  several  years  in  prison  as  a  pun- 
ishment for  their  crimes.  Only  a  small  amount  of 
the  stolen  goods  was  recovered,  which  made  Mrs. 
Fairchild,  Mr.  Lapham,  and  a  number  of  others 
mourn.  Much  to  the  surprise  of  everybody  it 
came  out  that  Frodel  and  the  other  man  had 
robbed  Roger  while  he  lay  unconscious  at  the 
bridge  and  had  also  made  off  with  his  motor  cycle. 
They  had  wanted  to  pawn  this,  but  had  not  dared, 
and  it  was  found  where  they  had  placed  it,  under 
some  hay  in  a  barn  near  Oakdale.  During  the 
trials  Gus  Plum  was  called  as  a  witness  for  the 
state  to  testify  and  did  so,  doing  nothing  to  shield 
himself.  This  was  considered  to  his  credit,  and 
when  he  returned  to  Oak  Hall  many  thought  more 
of  him  than  ever.  There  was  now  a  coolness  be- 
tween the  former  bully  and  Nat  Poole,  who  seemed 
to  be  left  in  the  cold  all  around. 

"I  don't  think  we'll  ever  see  anything  more  of 
Jasniff,"  said  Dave  one  day  to  Roger.  But  in  this 
surmise  Dave  was  mistaken,  and  how  will  be  re- 


304    DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

lated  in  another  volume  of  this  series,  to  be  en- 
titled, "Dave  Porter  in  the  Far  North;  or,  The 
Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy."  In  this  volume 
we  shall  meet  many  of  our  friends  again,  and  learn 
what  Dave  did  towards  finding  his  father  and  his 
sister  who  had  so  mysteriously  disappeared  during 
their  tour  of  Europe. 

Thanksgiving  was  now  at  hand,  and  many  of 
the  boys  prepared  to  return  to  their  homes  for  the 
holidays.  Dave  was  going  to  Crumville  and  so 
was  Ben.  Roger  was  going  home  too,  along  with 
Shadow  and  Buster  Beggs  and  Sam  Day. 

"I  am  going  to  stop  to  see  Phil,"  said  Dave,  and 
Ben  went  with  him.  Phil  was  delighted  over  the 
visit,  and  amazed  to  learn  the  news  concerning 
Plum  and  Jasniff. 

"Dave,  you're  a  dandy!"  he  cried.  "You're 
one  boy  in  a  thousand !" 

"Say  one  boy  in  ten  thousand!"  answered  Ben. 

At  this  Dave  smiled  quietly. 

"I  only  tried  to  do  my  duty,"  said  he. 

The  homecoming  was  full  of  pleasure  to  the 
boy,  and  here,  for  the  time  being,  we  will  leave 
Dave.  He  had  won  the  medal  of  honor,  and  no 
one  begrudged  him  the  pleasure  it  gave  him  to 
wear  it. 

THE  END 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 
12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    $1.25  per  volume 


Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  seldom  introduced  a  more 
popular  hero  than  Dave  Porter.  He  is  a  typical  boy, 
manly,  brave,  always  ready  for  a  good  time  if  it  can  be 
obtained  in  an  honorable  way,—  Wisconsin,  Milwaukee, 
Wis. 

"  Edward  Stratemeyer's  '  Dave  Porter*  has  become 
exceedingly  popular." — Boston  Globe. 

"Dave  and  his  friends  are  nice,  manly  chaps." — 
Times-Democrat,  New  Orleans. 


DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL 

Or  the  Schooldays  of  an  American  Boy 
DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Stormy  Petrel 

DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Or  Winning  the  Medal  of  Honor 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Or  The  Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES 

Or  For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Hall 

DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Or  The  Cowboy's  Secret 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  RIVALS 

Or  the  Chums  and  Foes  of  Oak  Hall 


LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  CO.,  Publishers,  Boston 


THE  LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 
12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    $1.25  per  volume 


"  The  author  of  the  Lakeport  Series,  Mr.  Edward 
Stratemeyer,  is  well  known  for  his  delightful  boys* 
stories." — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"  The  Lakeport  Series,  by  Edward  Stratemeyer,  is 
the  lineal  descendant  of  the  better  class  of  boys'  books 
of  a  generation  ago."  —  Christian  Advocate,  New 
York. 

"  The  Lakeport  Series  will  be  fully  as  popular  as 
the  author's  Dave  Porter  Series."  —  San  Francisco 
Call. 


THE  GUN  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Island  Camp 

THE  BASEBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Winning  Run 

THE  BOAT  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Water  Champions 

THE  FOOTBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  More  Goals  Than  One 

THE  AUTOMOBILE  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 
Or  A  Run  for  Fun  and  Fame 


LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  CO.,  Publishers,  Boston 


MEXICAN  WAR  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  ONE 
FOR  THE  LIBERTY  OF  TEXAS 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 

MUCH  is  told  here  of  Sam  Houston,  Davy 
Crockett,  Colonel  Bowie,  and  other  Texan 
heroes  in  connection  with  the  entertaining  story 
of  the  fortunes  of  two  brothers,  Dan  and  Ralph 
Radbury.  The  fall  of  the  Alamo  is  introduced, 
and  other  famous  incidents. 

VOLUME  TWO 

WITH  TAYLOR  ON  THE 

RIO  GRANDE 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

AS  with  each  of  the  series,  this  is  a  complete  story,  but  continues  the 
adventures  of  the  patriotic  young  Radbury  brothers.  They  serve 
under  General  Taylor  at  Palo  Alto,  Monterey,  and  Buena  Vista  and  share 
in  the  glory  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready." 

VOLUME  THREE 
UNDER  SCOTT  IN  MEXICO 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

IN  the  concluding  volume   of  this  valuable  historical  series   Dan  and 
Ralph  come  under  the  command  of  Gen.   Winfield  Scott  and  finally 
bear  their  part  in  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  proud  city  of  Mexico. 

These  books  were  first  issued  under  a  pen  name  and  by  another 
publisher.  We  have  now  placed  them  in  the  regular  list  of  this  unequaled 
writer  for  boys,  with  an  entirely  new  cover  design  in  keeping  with  the 
uniformly  rich  appearance  of  our  Stratemeyer  books. 


There  are  few  live  boys  la  tne  country  who  have  not  read  the  intensely 
interesting  books  of  Mr.  Stratemeyer,  and  who  do  not  have  a  warm  place  in  their 
hearts  tor  him.  No  living  American  writer  of  boys'  books  is  so  widely  read,  and 
none  so  sure  of  a  cordial  welcome  for  everything  that  comes  from  his  pen." — 
Chicago  Neva, 


The  boys*  delight— the  ••  Old  Glory  Series."—  The  Christian  Advocate,  N.T, 

THE  OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

BY   EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

FIRST  VOLUME 

UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA 

Or  The  War  Fortunes  of  a  Castaway 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THIS  book,  published  in  September,  1898,  at  once  sprang  to  the  front 
as  the  greatest  success  among  books  for  boys  since  the  famous  Army 
and  Navy  series  by  "  Oliver  Optic,"  and  its  popularity  has  steadily  in- 
creased as  the  succeeding  volumes  of  the  series  have  appeared. 

Edward  Stratemeyer  weaves  the  incidents  of  the  naval  conflict  at  Manila  into  a 
narrative  of  experiences  and  adventure  which  is  wholesome  in  spirit  and  full  of 
excitement,  and  which  the  boys  will  like. —  Congregationalist, 

SECOND  VOLUME 

A  YOUNG  VOLUNTEER  IN  CUBA 

Or  Fighting  for  the  Single  Star 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THE  career  of  Larry  Russell,  as  recorded  in  "Under  Dewey  at 
Manila,"  was  the  hit  of  the  season  among  juveniles.  The  fortunes 
of  Larry  are  equalled  in  interest  by  the  adventures  of  Ben,  his  older 
brother,  and  his  friend,  Gilbert  Pennington,  and  the  many  exciting  scenes 
through  which  they  passed  during  their  service  in  the  army.  Ben  enlisted 
in  a  New  York  volunteer  regiment,  while  Gilbert  joined  Colonel  Roosevelt's 
famous  Rough  Riders.  Their  life  in  camp,  the  capture  of  El  Caney,  the 
charge  at  San  Juan  hill,  are  all  vividly  described. 

Mr,  Stratemeyer's  boys  are  clean,  manly  fellows,  and  deserre  the  popularity 
which  doubtless  awaits  them.—  Christian  Register, 

THIRD  VOLUME 

FIGHTING  IN  CUBAN  WATERS 

Or  Under  Schley  on  the  "Brooklyn" 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

rr  this  book  Walter  Russell,  brother  to  Larry  and  Ben,  the  respective 
heroes  of  the  two  preceding  volumes  of  the  series,  finds  his  way  to 
Boston,  secures  employment,  enlists  in  the  navy,  and  is  assigned  to  the 
"  Brooklyn."  Then  follow  intensely  interesting  chapters,  telling  of  Com- 
modore Schley,  the  routine  life  of  the  "Jackies,"  and  blockade  and  dis- 
covery of  Cervera's  fleet,  followed  by  the  memorable  conflict  of  July  3. 

■•  Fighting'  in  Cuban  Waters  "  is  in  the  same  hearty,  manly  spirit  that  has  mads 
the  other  volumes  of  the  Old  Glory  Series  so  much  liked.  —  journal  of  Education, 


OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

FOURTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Or  A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THE  "  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics  "  is  none  other  than  our  old  friend 
Ben  Russell,  who  upon  reenlisting  for  service  in  the  Philippines  is 
given  the  same  position,  that  of  second  lieutenant,  to  which  he  had  been 
promoted  for  gallantry  while  "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba." 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  is  in  a  class  by  himself  when  tt  comes  to  writing  about  Amert 
can  heroes,  their  brilliant  doings  on  land  and  sea.  —  Times,  Boston. , 

FIFTH  VOLUME 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Under  Lawton  through  Luzon 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

BEN  and  Larry  figure  in  the  "  Campaign  of  the  Jungle,"  which  has  a 
truthful  and  graphic  historical  setting  in  two  expeditions  of  the  noble 
General  Lawton,  whose  portrait  adorns  the  cover,  the  first  being  that  di- 
rected against  Santa  Cruz  on  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  and  the  second  from 
Manila  to  San  Isidro,  through  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  jungle.  The 
same  sterling  qualities  that  have  made  these  brothers  so  well  liked  carry 
them  through  perilous  scenes  with  true  American  fortitude. 
A  good  war  story,  —  San  Francisco  Bulletin. 

SIXTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Or  Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

12mo    Cloth    llustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Medallion  cover 
320  pages    $1.25 

WE  have  here  a  thoroughly  up-to-date,  clean,  and  entertaining  boys' 
story,  complete  in  itself,  but  forming  the  sixth  and  last  volume  of 
the  "  Old  Glory  "  Series.  The  boys  in  all  parts  of  the  country  have  been 
anxiously  waiting  to  learn  the  final  fortunes  of  the  three  Russell  brothers, 
Larry,  Walter,  and  Ben,  with  scarcely  less  interest  in  Gilbert  Pennington, 
hero  of  "  On  to  Pekin,"  and  not  forgetting  other  old  friends  on  land  and 
sea.  All  are  here,  doing  their  duty  in  the  same  straightforward  way  as 
ever;  and  the  final  battles  in  the  Philippines  are  followed  with  that  accu- 
racy of  statement  which  Mr.  Stratemeyer  always  employs,  thereby  giving 
general  value  to  his  books  without  in  the  least  impairing  the  interest  of  the 
storv. 

Maintains  the  high  standard  in  att  -active  narration  which  was  set  bythe  its? 
volume.  Ths  sis  books  max*  a  eom^leta  and  vaiwaftte  coUortiafc.  —  Jfm  I*«* 
World. 


American  Boys'  Biographical  Series 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

~rmn i    nun  III  iiumiii    mil   mi   im  urn     i  mi\» 

VOLUME  ONE 

AMERICAN  BOYS 

LIFE  OF  WILLIAM  McKINLEY 

300  pages     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute  and  from  Photo- 
graphs   $1.25 

HERE  is  told  the  whole  story  of  McKinley's  boyhood  days,  his  life 
at  school  and  at  college,  his  work  as  a  school  teacher,  his  glorious 
career  in  the  army,  his  struggles  to  obtain  a  footing  as  a  lawyer, 
his  efforts  as  a  Congressman  and  a  Governor,  and  lastly  his  prosperous 
career  as  our  President,  all  told  in  a  style  particularly  adapted  to  beys  and 

{roung  men.  The  book  is  full  of  interesting  anecdotes,  all  taken  from 
ife,  showing  fully  the  sincere,  honest,  painstaking  efforts  of  a  life  cut  all 
too  short.  The  volume  will  prove  an  inspiration  to  all  boys  and  young 
men,  and  should  be  in  every  library. 

For  nearly  a  year  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  been  gathering  material  and 
giving  careful  study  to  the  life  of  the  young  William,  his  childhood,  his 
boyhood,  and  all  his  inspiring  and  romantic  history.  The  story  was  Hear- 
ing its  end  when  the  awful  finale  came  and  tragedy  ended  the  drama  of 
President  McKinley's  life.— New  York  Journal. 

VOLUME  TWO 

AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT 

300  pages     12m©    Illustrated  from  Photographs    $1.25 

THIS  excellent  work  for  young 
people  covers  the  whole  life  of 
our  strenuous  executive,  as  school- 
boy, college  student,  traveler,  author, 
hunter  and  ranchman,  as  assembly- 
man, as  civil  service  commissioner, 
as  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
as  a  daring  rough  rider,  as  Governor 
of  New  York,  and  lastly  as  President. 
Full  of  stories  taken  from  real  life 
and  told  in  a  manner  to  interest  both 
young  and  old. 

We  unreservedly  recommend  Mr.  Strate- 
VKfW'%  books  tor  bovs.  They  are  wholesome,  accurate  as  to  historical 
feUulfe,  and  «lu»*vs  inter tstox&.—fotitn  Times, 


This  book  must  not 
be  taken  from  the 
Library  building. 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


